


The Mischievous Princess

by TheAlienAwakens



Series: The Mirror Souls [2]
Category: Loki (Character), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Just lots of fucking Loki, Jötunn Loki, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Needs a Hug, Poor Loki, Sad Loki, There's some Thor in there too, but not a lot, who is awesome, who is played by Tom Hiddleston
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-01-11 13:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1173660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAlienAwakens/pseuds/TheAlienAwakens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since he took the throne of Asgard, Loki has been living the life. He has the one thing he always wanted: a place of his own. He is... complete. </p><p>Or so he thinks.</p><p>Suddenly, a mysterious girl arrives in Asgard, asking for protection. Loki is hesitant to grant it, but the strange girl interests him, so he lets her into his palace. But he realizes he may have made a mistake when the girl makes him start questioning his completeness. Does Loki REALLY have everything he has ever desired, or is there something missing?</p><p>*Part of a series, but reading the first book is NOT required to understand this one*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Princess Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So yeah, the title of this story kind of sucks, so if any of you can think of anything better please let me know. I was just really eager to post it, so I slapped a random title on there. And despite what a certain character in this story says, I (obviously) imagined the movie versions (Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, ect...) when writing this story, so you should, too. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but that version is, I assume, why you're here, so.. yeah. Enjoy! ^-^
> 
> ~Rina
> 
> P.S. I have this as the second part my Mirror Souls series, but you don't have to go read the first one to understand this one. I'll make sure Starlight explains everything you need to know about her. I just set this as part of the series because, in all technicalities, it is a continuation of Starlight's adventures (even though the first part isn't even finished yet. >.

It's been three months since Loki took the form of his adoptive father and seized the throne of Asgard. Ever since the day he locked the All-Father in a concealed dungeon and Thor went to Earth to be with his mortal lover, Loki has been ruling Asgard in the way that he has always wanted to. He has also been working on getting the people of Asgard to see himself as good, so that, one day, he could shed Odin's form and rule as himself.

Just as his mother once wished him to.

At the thought of Frigga, Loki's heart clenched, but he quickly squashed the thoughts of guilt. He had to constantly remind himself that his mother's death was not his fault. She had died protecting Jane Foster, Thor's lover.

“So, really,” Loki said out loud, “If it's anyone's fault that Mother is dead, it's Thor's.”

Able to convince himself that that is true, Loki feels slightly better. He reclaims the All-Father's form, picks up Gungnir and makes his way to the throne room. Jut as he got there and was about to sit down, Sif burst into the room.

“Your Highness!”

Oh, how Loki _loved_ being called that. Especially by Sif.

Sif knelt in front of the throne, trying to hide her panting. Loki gestured for her to stand, and she did. Since Thor had left Asgard to be with Jane, Sif had changed. Before, she had been strong and fearless. Now, she was haunted by strange nightmares that she couldn't decipher and they had made her weaker. She always tried not to show her new found weakness, but Loki always saw it. It piqued his curiosity. He hoped to use her weakness to get her on his side.

“What is it, Sif?” Loki asked her, knowing his didn't sound at all like Odin. Yes, his voice was Odin's, but his way of speaking didn't match the former ruler's. However, because of the belief that Loki was dead, no-one ever questioned their King's new way of speaking.

“Two girls just arrived via the Bifröst. Heimdall is holding them off, but one of them insists that she speak with you immediately.”

“Why is Heimdall holding them off? Have they been deemed a threat?”

Sif bit her lip. “Not quite, Your Highness. They do not actlike a threat, but the way they arrived is suspicious.”

“I thought you said that they arrived using the Bifröst.”

“Well... it's more that they arrived _at_ the Bifröst. I didn't see it for myself, but Heimdall described it as if they just... materialized from the Bridge itself.”

Loki blinked at Sif, not quite knowing what to say. He was sure that he knew all possible entrances into Asgard, and what Sif was describing was not something he had ever known about. He was curious about this mysterious duo, so he sent Sif to retrieve them.

The Asgardian warrior returned ten minutes later. She was flanked by four guards (two on each side) and two girls who didn't look much older than a mortal teenager. One girl had messy, dark blue hair pulled back into a bun and sea-foam-green eyes, rimmed by large and circular glasses that rested on her elf-like ears. This girl wore a frilly, knee-length black dress, frilly white apron, and sported a black bow at her neck. Loki recognized the outfit as one that a maid from Earth would typically wear. The girl looked shy and afraid, quivering at each step the guards behind her made.

Her companion, however, was the exact opposite.

Looking quite regal in a cherry-red dress with gold trim and white, puffy sleeves, the other girl had her sapphire blue eyes on Loki and walked with an air of confidence. Her jet-black hair went past her knees and fanned out behind her like a cape. Her black heels clacked on the stone as she made her way towards the throne. When the group hit the bottom of the steps, Sif and the guards bowed to Loki, then the guards placed themselves at the foot of the steps to stop any attacks these strange girls might be planning.

The black haired girl bowed, too, but Loki could tell it was a mocking gesture. “King Odin,” she spoke before Loki could, “allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Starlight, of Echo, and this is my handmaiden, Lillian. We come from a land far away, seeking refuge.”

“Refuge from what, exactly?” Loki asked. There was a bad aura radiating off this girl, and it filled Loki uneasiness, which wasn't an easy feat.

“A violent dictator has forcefully taken over my world. This man wants me dead, so, in order to keep my people safe, I faked my own death and escaped.”

“How is that going to keep your people safe?” Sif asked, appalled that the girl would just leave her people in the hands of a violent dictator.

“The tyrant has become...” Starlight tilted her head at Sif, “Less violent since he learned of my 'death.' He never wanted anything more. My lady-in-waiting has taken over my throne until I am able to return.”

“And when will that be?” Loki asked, intrigued by this girl's story.

Starlight gave Loki a charming and innocent-looking smile. “When I find a way to kill the bastard who wanted me dead.”

Oh, yes, Loki liked her.

And he wanted to see how far he could push her.

“And if I refuse to grant you asylum?” Loki asked, looking down his nose at her.

The same sweet smile appeared again. “Then I'll tell everyone your secret.” Starlight sang cheerfully.

The guards tensed and Sif froze, turning slowly to stare at Loki peculiarly. As far as she, and anybody else in Asgard knew, Loki was King Odin, a man who rarely kept secrets (other than Loki's true identity, of course). So, they all wondered, what could this girl be talking about? Even Loki was perplexed. Did she mean to say that she knew he wasn't King Odin, or was there a secret she knew about the real All-Father? Loki desperately hoped it was the latter, since he didn't feel like killing anyone today.

“Leave us.” Loki told Sif and the guards. “I wish to speak with our guests alone.”

Sif cast a worried glance at Loki, but followed behind the guards anyway. As Sif passed Starlight, the princess put a hand on the warrior's arm.

“Could you take Lady Lillian with you? This all seems to be too much for her poor heart, and I'm sure she could use some water.”

Loki watched in fascination as Starlight's eyes changed from blue to purple and Sif went from defiant and confused to submissive and calm. The Asgardian warrior nodded mutely and the blue-haired maid followed Sif out of the throne room. Loki waited until the door was firmly shut and all was silent outside before speaking.

“You just controlled one of my strongest warriors.” He said, keeping his voice low, “Please know that if I do decide to let you into my palace under protection, I would advise against doing that again.”

Loki came down the steps and faced the girl. Even in the heels, she was a good deal shorter than him, but she didn't seem to mind having to look up at him. She also didn't even try to deny the mind-control.

“Fair enough.” She said, smirking at him. “However, the question still stands: _are_ you going to give me and my maid shelter?”

Slowly, Loki started to circle the girl, looking at her up and down. He was trying to calculate her physical strength and see if she had any hidden weapons. She didn't seem to, but that didn't make him any less anxious. Loki himself was walking proof that people could be easily deceived, if the right magic was involved. The god stopped behind the girl. During his circling, she had remained facing the throne. Loki couldn't tell if she was incredibly stupid to keep her back to him or if she had a trick hidden in those lacy sleeves of hers. He decided to find out.

In one swift motion, he drew his dagger and thrust it at the girl's back. Almost instantly, the princess spun around and had her hand clamped tightly around his wrist. Loki's jaw dropped; she was faster than him! Also, she now donned a pair of soft-looking orange-and-black fox ears on her head.

 “You underestimate me, Your Highness.” Starlight said, her brows knitting together in anger, “Now are you going to promise me safety, or not?”

“And if I don't?” He asked again.

“Then I will tell everyone who you really are, _Loki._ ”

So she did know. Loki dropped Odin's form and glared at the girl with his own green eyes.

“How did you know?” Loki asked, awe obvious in his voice, even though he tried to hide it.

Starlight let go of Loki's wrist and stepped away from him. “Where I come from, you don't exist. You are nothing but a... character, made up by some random 'mortal.'”

Hearing that made Loki furious. “ _I am a god!”_ He yelled, then hoping nobody had heard him.

Starlight gave him a once-over, then snorted. “Puny god.”

Loki winced, not liking the reminder of the big green idiot that had relentlessly slammed him into a floor.

“This man was from Asgard.” Starlight continued, pacing the floor, “But he was also part of my world. You see, my people are called Mirror Souls and are able to use reflective surfaces to travel between worlds. It's how I arrived here; by using the reflective properties of the Bifröst Bridge.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But that's a story for another time. My point is, the man who 'created' you watched the destruction you left in your wake, then used his powers of a Soul to travel into my world and make books and movies you of you. You know what a movie is, right?”

Loki nodded, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

“Well, I've read those books and watched those movies. Therefore, I know everything about you.” Starlight smiled at him.

“You know nothing about me.” Loki growled, tired of her cockiness.

“You're right.” Starlight agreed, her face and tone going serious. “What that man wrote only captured what is on the outside. It captured... what he saw you do; the devastation he saw you cause. He never stopped to think _why_ you were being so... cataclysmic.”

It was Loki's turn to smirk. This girl was trying to relate to him. How cute. Loki went close to the girl, leaning forward so he could whisper in her ear.

“Tell me, darling, why do _you_ think I was being so... cataclysmic?” Loki asked in a rasping voice, his lips grazing Starlight's ear, causing her to shudder. She swallowed before speaking.

“You thought that you didn't have a place in Asgard, so you tried to take over the Earth. But then, you realized that you had no place there, either. All you want is a place where you belong. _That,_ Your Highness, is why you were so cataclysmic.”

Loki regarded her indifferently. She was smart. Too smart. Without a word, he climbed back up to the throne, sat down, and took Odin's form again.

“You and your servant girl may stay here. Get Sif to show you to your chambers.”

Starlight bowed, my less mockingly than before. “Thank you, Your Highness. I appreciate your kindness.”

Loki merely waved her away. He watched as she made her way out of the throne room, her head held high. He could barely admit it (even to himself) but the princess interested him greatly. She had tricks and she was smart; Loki wouldn't fool her easily.

He would have to keep an eye on this girl.


	2. The Demon Inside

“Hime-sama,” Lillian said in a worried tone, “Please don't do this.”

Starlight caught her maid's gaze in the mirror. The blue-haired girl's eyes were full of anxiety as her mind processed her princess's plans for the day.

“Please calm down, Lillian.” Starlight chided gently. “There is no creature, in this or any other world, that can sneak up on me. I'll be fine.”

Lillian sniffled and blinked back her tears as she finished tying the sash on the princess's yukata. Starlight studied herself in the mirror. The gold embroidered maple leaves that decorated the purple cotton were starting to come undone. Understandable, since the yukata was Starlight's favorite and she had worn it into many battles.

“With all due respect, Hime-sama,” Lillian said softly, “There may not be a creature that can sneak up on you, but there are many that can defeat you. I believe Loki is one of these beings.”

The princess spun on her maid and, much to her surprise, Lillian didn't jump back. The tiny water-nymph was scared of many things, but her princess wasn't one of them. Starlight was a benevolent ruler and rarely ever became violent. This was mostly because Souls were not a violent race, but also because Starlight took great care to hide any demonic side her mixed lineage had given her.

“He may be.” Starlight said in slight agreement, “He may not be....”

“And you would rather not find out which?” Lillian asked hopefully.

Starlight chuckled lightly and gave the maid a small pet on the head. “You know me better than that, Lillian.”

And the nymph did. She knew her princess wanted the exact opposite of what she had hoped; she knew that Starlight would give _anything_ to spar with Loki, even if it meant the risk of losing her life. Starlight loved to try and see the strengths and weaknesses of other beings, especially when she visited a new world.

“I'll be going now Lillian.” Starlight swept gracefully towards the door. “There is nothing I need you to do today, so just relax.”

The door shut firmly behind her with a clang. Lillian sighed, sinking down onto the princess's bed.

“I won't relax until you come back unscathed, Hime-sama.”

On the other side of the door, Starlight was sighing too. She knew that Lillian had every right to worry about her. She also knew that Lillian was right; Loki _could_ be a being that Starlight couldn't beat. He could find out about her plan and kill her for it. Then, he would most likely kill Lillian, too. But Starlight's curiosity was getting the best of her. She needed to know what had happened to the All-Father, since she didn't know if Loki had killed the man or simply imprisoned him. And once she knew the fate of the previous king of Asgard, she could put the rest of her plan in motion.

By now, all of the people employed in the palace knew of Starlight's presence. As the princess padded around the palace in her quiet flats, she kept her fox ears perked, listening to the hushed conversations of the servants.

“She's so pretty.” A couple of maids whispered to each other, staring at Starlight in awe. In response to the young girls, Starlight smiled kindly. They both blushed and darted off around a corner.

Suddenly, a girl who looked no more than seven came barrelling around another corner, crashing right into Starlight. The child 'oomphed' as she hit the ground. Then, an older woman came around the same corner and gasped when she saw the child on the ground in front of Starlight.

“Obelia! How many times have I told you not to run in the palace?” The woman rushed over and picked the little girl up off the ground. Then, she gave Starlight a small curtsy, keeping her eyes down. “I'm so very sorry, uhh... ma'am.”

The little girl hid behind the woman's skirt, looking up at Starlight with fear in her eyes. The princess knelt down to the girl's height and gave her a warm smile. The girl blinked, her eyes travelling up to Starlight's fox ears in wonder.

“Would you like to feel them?” Starlight asked in a soft voice.

Obelia looked up at the her mother, silently asking if it was okay. The older woman was still somewhat suspicious of the palace's strange guest, but she nodded anyway. Obelia stepped out from her mother's skirt and reached up to touch Starlight's ears. The ears were velvety smooth in the girl's hands. In curiosity, she scratched behind the ears like she would a dog. The ears twitched, scaring the girl, but not enough for her to pull her hands away. She went to do it again, but Starlight laughed lightly and gently removed the girl's hands.

“None of that, now.” The princess tutted with a smile.

Obelia was still obviously floored by the ears, so Starlight asked if she wanted a pair of her own. The girl's eyes widened as she nodded. Starlight flicked her wrist and conjured up a brown headband (to match the girl's hair) with a pair of fox ears attached. She handed them to Obelia, who immediately placed them on her head. The girl turned to her mother, looking very proud.

“Look, Mommy! I'm a fox.”

“That you are.” The woman said, love evident in her voice. “Now go back to the kitchen before the All-Father sees you running around.” The girl disappeared back around the corner. The woman turned to Starlight. “Thank you. I haven't seen her smile like that in ages.”

Starlight stood back up and nodded. “Ah, it was my pleasure. The smile of a child in the purest thing anyone can have the pleasure of seeing, in my opinion. If you don't mind me asking, why hasn't she smiled like that in a while?”

The woman shuffled and glanced around nervously. Starlight figured she didn't want the 'All-Father' hearing whatever she was about to say, so Starlight pulled her into a corner and put up one of her special barriers. The barrier prevented anyone from seeing or hearing them. The woman gaped at the pink, shimmering orb in amazement. Starlight assured the woman that nobody could hear them, and she finally spoke freely.

“Ever since the Convergence, the All-Father has been acting... strangely.”

Starlight fought the urge to snort at the woman's words. She had _no_ idea.

The servant continued. “He used to be a kind (if not, distant) leader. Now, he's more hands on and... well, I don't want to say cruel, but... he's..” The woman sighed, searching for the right word.

“Stricter?” Starlight offered.

“Yes. His punishments have gotten harsher, and it is also easier to get punished. One of the king's personal servants once dropped a tray with His Highness's supper on it. He got so angry that he ordered her to stay in the Servant's quarters for a week with little to eat or drink. She came back at the end of the week, thin as a sheet of paper, I swear. There have been many other incidents, too, but I won't bore you with the details. The All-Father didn't want any of the servants' children running around, but he decided to tolerate it, as long as we can keep them in check. Sadly, Obelia is one of the rowdiest ones; she hates sitting in the kitchen all day. She's bored, and that's why she hasn't smiled so brightly in a while.”

Starlight placed her hand on the woman's shoulder sympathetically. “I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in constant fear like that.”

The woman sighed, then peered at Starlight peculiarly. “Do... do your people live like this?” Then her eyes went wide. “Not that I'm saying you are harsh, or anything, ma'am. I just..” She trailed off, looking ashamed.

“It's alright. I know you're just curious to know if there's a better place than here. I am very happy to say that no, my people also do not know your suffering. I like to believe that I am a very compassionate ruler. I rule firmly, but with equality in mind. Now, you should be getting back to your daughter. Thank you for speaking so truthfully with me. And if you're still curious about how I treat my people, please seek out my maid, Lillian. She'd be happy to tell you all about our home world. Oh, and you wouldn't happen to know where the dungeon is, would you?”

The woman gave Starlight some vague directions, since she didn't know the exact place of it. Starlight nodded her thanks, dropped the barrier and swept away.

Neither woman was aware that they had just been seen magically reappearing by one of the Warriors Three, Volstagg. The wide man gasped, dropping the chicken leg in his hand. Without picking the food back up, he thundered towards the throne room as fast as he could go. When he got to the huge double doors, he burst in without knocking.

The All-Father was talking quietly to Sif, and glanced up when Volstagg tumbled in. The big warrior tried to tell the king what he had seen, but he was too out of breath to speak. Sif got Volstagg some water, which he swallowed greedily.

“What is it, Volstagg?” The king asked, sounding mildly annoyed.

“Your guest, Your Highness...” Volstagg was able to get out, still breathing heavily.

The King perked up. “What about her?”

“I just saw her talking to one of the kitchen maids.”

“Was she saying anything suspicious?” The All-Father asked.

Volstagg shook his head. “I don't think so, but..”

Odin's interest deflated slightly. “Then why are you pestering me?”

“Because they appeared in front of me- out of thin air! It was like they just... materialized out of nowhere!”

Sif quirked an eyebrow, remembering that she had used the same terminology to describe how the princess had come to be in Asgard. “This girl seems to be able to materialize out of a lot of things, doesn't she?” Sif asked, looking at the king.

The king rubbed his chin with his index finger, a very non-Odin move that nobody really noticed. “So it seems...” He murmured, then said louder, “Where is she now, Volstagg?”

“Last I saw her, she was headed towards the southernmost stairwell.”

The All-Father thanked Volstagg and went of to search for the princess on his own.

 

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

After about half an hour, Starlight was able to find the dungeon. There were guards standing on either side of the doorway, but it was easy for Starlight to _convince_ them to open the doors for her; Asgardians seemed to be weak against her particular brand of mind-control. Once through the doors, she was also able to persuade the guards inside the dungeon to ignore her and pretend she wasn't even there. She looked around, studying the underground room with a keen eye. There were prisoners behind many of the orange, transparent walls. However, none of them contained the real All-Father. Starlight wasn't surprised at this, though, since she didn't expect Loki to just keep his adoptive father out in the open where anyone could find him.

She ventured further into the dungeon, running her hands along the walls in search of a hidden passage or false partition. When she got all the way to the end without finding anything, Starlight huffed in annoyance. She closed her eyes and sent out a soundwave, hoping that it would bounce back and reveal to her some kind of secret behind one of the stone walls.

It didn't, but it did expose a man-shaped form behind her. Starlight spun, magically producing a pair of swords from her long sleeves and crossing them in front of her in a blocking motion. Something hit the princess's blades hard enough to rattle the bones in her whole body. She glanced up to see Loki, in his own form, wielding Gungnir. He looked severely pissed off, but Starlight pushed the slight fear she felt away, giving the black-haired god a sweet smile.

“I'll have you know that it is impossible to sneak up on me.” She said.

Loki pulled Gungnir away and Starlight dropped her block. She didn't put the swords away, however, in case Loki was angry enough to want to fight her. Starlight noticed there were no guards in the dungeon, so no-one for her to control if Loki decided to attack.

“What do you think you're doing down here?” Loki asked with a growl, narrowing his eyes at her.

Starlight looked around at the prisoners casually. “I wanted to see how many prisoners you had.” She lied smoothly. “Not as many I would expect, since people are saying that you rule with an iron fist.”

Loki chuckled, not believing a word she said, but deciding to play along. He circled Starlight and came to rest behind her. He watched as her shoulder tensed and the grip on her swords became tighter. Despite her cool exterior, he knew that she was quivering in fear on the inside.

“That's because I usually just kill anyone who disobeys me.” Loki said, “Sometimes, however, torture becomes a better punishment for their crimes. It is only then that I put them down here, to suffer out the rest of their miserable lives in constant agony.” He came closer to her, nearly pressing against her back. “Would you like to see?”

Loki was somewhat surprised to see the princess nod. He glanced into her eyes for a second to see that her purple irises were staring to turn slightly golden. Loki wondered what that meant, but ignored it for the moment. He led her up to one of the walls and put his hand on it. It fell away, revealing a long corridor. Starlight wondered why she hadn't noticed it. They went down the hallway a little, then rounded a corner. At the end of the hall was a cell just like the ones out in the main room.

But this one contained the All-Father. He sat against the back wall, dressed in nothing but a simple and ratty robe. His eye patch was gone, too, revealing the empty socket of his ruined eye.

“This is what you were looking for, wasn't it?” Loki asked darkly.

Starlight nodded, knowing there was no point in denying anything now.

“Watch.” Loki told the princess, who did so eagerly, her eyes completely gold now.

Loki raised his hand, using his magic to pick the old man up without even touching him. Odin started flailing around, whimpering and pleading for Loki not to do it. Loki paid no mind to the man's pleas and continued. The All-Father floated towards the front of the cell, as if a ghost carried him. Starlight licked her lips in anticipation, already having a good idea about what Loki was about to do with the man.

And just as she thought, the man flew into the orange barrier forcefully. The electricity in the barrier surged through the man, making his body spasm wildly. Starlight gasped, but not in fear. There was a familiar and intoxicating feeling stirring inside her; an immense pleasure. She continued watching, unfazed, as Odin screamed in agony. The old man had become weak in the months since he had been put in the dungeon, subject to constant torture.

Loki kept Odin up against the barrier until he sensed the barrier's breaking point. It was only then he dropped Odin to the ground. Starlight let out a strangled cry, her eyes fading back to purple. She had let the demon inside of her take over, which was something she always used all her willpower to prevent. Loki watched as the princess gasped for breath, coming down from whatever high she had been on. He took the moment of vulnerability and grabbed Starlight by the throat, pinning her against the wall.

“Listen here, you mewling quim.” He said in a harsh voice, “There is not a thing you can do in this palace that I will not find out about. If you cross me again, I will lock you up next to Odin and force you to watch as I slowly kill your pretty little maid. Then, I will deliver to you so much suffering that you will beg for your own death. Have I made myself clear?”

Starlight stayed silent. She refused to say yes, not wanting to show how much Loki really scared her, but also knew that saying no would make Loki do exactly what he had just promised to do.

The princess's apparent calm infuriated Loki. He growled, his skin turning blue as he took on his Frost Giant form. If he couldn't get a reaction from her by mere threats, then he would see if biting cold would make her answer him. Starlight tensed and closed her eyes, ready to feel the arctic temperature she knew he could make to prick into her.

It never did.

Starlight blinked her eyes open, shocked at what she saw. The skin on her hands, where she gripped Loki's forearm, was turning blue but not becoming frostbitten. Loki widened his red eyes, instantly dropping the girl in his hand.

“You're immune.” He said, keeping his voice neutral. “What exactly _are_ you?”

Starlight calmly adjusted her yukata. “I am... many beings.” She glanced at her arm, where the skin was starting to go back to it's normal color. “Though, I wasn't aware that Frost Giant could be one of them.”

Without another word, Starlight spun on her heels and marched swiftly out of the dungeon. Loki let her go, feeling like she wouldn't cause any more trouble anytime soon, since she had seemed slightly distraught at the fact that she may be part Frost Giant.

A weak, throaty laugh came from being Loki. The god turned to see Odin struggling to sit up. When the All-Father finally got himself into a sitting position, he smirked at Loki.

“What are you laughing at, old man?” Loki snarled.

“That girl,” Odin whispered, his voice hoarse, “She will be your undoing. I have seen it.”

Brushing off Odin's words, Loki used his powers to force Odin back against the orange barrier. However, he only left him there for a few seconds before dropping him again.

“You know nothing.” Loki said simply, leaving his adoptive father to suffer once more.

 

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

“Hime-sama, please calm down!”

Lillian pulled at her princess's arm, trying to stop the older girl from tearing everything to shreds with her claws. The bedsheets and the drapes were already laying on the floor, tatter and ruined. Starlight was now trying to tear the bath towels up, but she was being held back by the unusually strong water-nymph.

“Hime-sama,” Lillian said, using a comforting voice, “I know you're upset, but you need to get a hold of yourself. You'll destroy everything!”

Starlight ripped her arm out of her maid's grip, but stopped trying to slash at the towels.

“I have _another_ demon inside of me, Lillian! Another... monster that I may not be able to control.” Starlight sighed, her anger finally dying away. She sunk down onto the bed, placing her head in her hands. “I can't take anymore demons. The youkai inside of me takes over enough as it is.”

“Hime-sama...” Lillian sat next to the princess on the bed, rubbing her back. “I know it's hard, but you are such a strong woman. You can deal with this.”

Starlight shook her head. “No, not here I can't. You weren't there, Lillian. Usually, I can fight the bloodlust that the youkai wants. But this time... I couldn't. I just stood there and watched as Loki tortured the All-Father; and I _enjoyed_ it!”

The maid leaned in and whispered soothing words into Starlight's ears, the words part of a nymph spell that took effect immediately. Starlight closed her eyes and fell back onto the bed, her breath even as she slept. Lillian knew that the princess would be angry at her once she woke up, but the maid thought that her princess's relaxation was worth the punishment. She quickly left the room, only to smack straight into a rushing servant. Lillian saw other servants bustling around too, talking in hushed and excited tones.

“What's going on?” Lillian asked the girl she had bumped into.

“Oh, it's so exciting!” the girl said giddily. “You and your princess came at the right time!”

“Why?”

“Prince Thor is coming back, perhaps to take the throne.”


	3. The History of the Souls and a new visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dat seventh paragraph, tho. I have no idea why I had such a hard time writing that one. Gomen ne (I'm sorry). Also, I guess I should have mentioned why this story is rated M at the beginning. It's rated M because of eventual sexual scenes and gory scenes. And in terms of the sex scenes... some of them may be slightly kinky... But not to much, because I don't have much experience in kinky sex-scenes.... So yeah, now you know. Also, prepare for some long-ass dialogue from Starlight, explaining some of her past. ^-^ 
> 
> ~Rina

Loki sat upon the throne, in Odin's form, with a hard look on his face. A week and a half ago, his brother had sent a message to say that he was coming for a visit. The news had not brightened Loki's mood after his little confrontation with Princess Starlight. Also, ever since the message got around, the palace had been overflowing with excited activity. The staff was nervous about seeing the returning prince, but in a good way. Loki knew that they all hoped Thor was coming back to take over as King of Asgard and it irritated him. For a brief second, Loki thought about being less harsh in his punishments, but quickly pushed the thoughts away. Softness was what made the All-Father vulnerable enough for Loki to throw him in the dungeon.

“My King.” Volstagg appeared in front of Loki, taking a knee in front of the throne respectfully. “Your son has arrived at the Bifröst- he will be here shortly.”

“Thank you, Volstagg.” The warrior nodded and made to leave, but Loki ordered him to wait. “Bring me our guest. I'd like to have a talk with her before my son gets here.”

Volstagg nodded, leaving the room and coming back a few minutes later with Starlight and her maid in tow. Loki told Volstagg to leave, then addressed the princess as Odin.

“As you may have heard, my son is coming for a visit. He does not know of your presence in Asgard.”

“And you'd rather keep it that way?” Starlight asked, a sly grin gracing her face. “In other words, stay in my room like a good girl?”

Starlight looked calm and collected, but it was just an act. Loki had heard about the way she had torn up her bedroom after their encounter. After that, she hadn't left her room, save for a couple of trips to the kitchen, until Loki had called for her now. Starlight was still bothered by being part Frost Giant, but she was good at hiding her emotions so nobody could use them against her.

“Yes,” Loki answered honestly, “But after the incident in the dungeon, I know how horrible a decision that would be. So, instead, I ask that you stay in my sight at all times.”

Starlight narrowed her eyes at Loki, barely able to contain her annoyance at the idea. However, she would get to meet Thor, so she reluctantly agreed.

“At least let me get changed.” Starlight said. “I'm not exactly dressed to meet a prince.”

As she said that, Loki realized that the girl was wearing an outfit that looked _very_ Midgardian. It consisted of a pair of snug navy-blue denim shorts and a red t-shirt that was strategically ripped along the collar and sleeves. She looked very much like she would fit right in on Earth, which was something else Loki mentally added to the long list of things about her that fascinated him.

Loki waved her his permission and she left the room, coming back in a more Asgardian looking outfit of black leather pants and shirt, which was cut off to reveal her stomach. Loki gestured for her to stand with Lady Sif at the foot of the throne.

“What is taking Thor so long?” Sif asked Volstagg. The large man took a fleeting glance at Loki, not wanting to reveal the reason Thor was being slow in fear that it would upset the king.

However, Starlight noticed Volstagg's nervousness and pointed it out nonchalantly. “It's not nice to keep secrets from the All-Father, Volstagg.”

The man on the throne snapped his head towards the warrior, giving him a threatening glare. All was silent in the throne room, Volstagg nearly shaking under Loki's cold gaze. If there was one difference that everyone noticed about Loki in the All-Father's form, it was how he could strike more fear into them with one measly gaze more than the real Odin ever could. Fortunately, the warrior was saved from answering when Thor finally blew in through the doors. He strode down the aisle created by servants and friends confidently. Trailing in the wake of his billowing red cape was none other than Jane Foster.

And Darcy Lewis.

Immediately, Loki shot up from the throne, angered by the sight of the two mortals.

“My son.” He boomed, “You dare bring, not one, but two mortals into Asgard?”

Thor bowed briefly out of respect. “My apologies, Father, but after three Earth-damaging incidents, I have decided that wherever I go, Jane will go as well.”

“And wherever Jane goes, I go.” Darcy added, snapping a picture of one of the columns. “But I don't get why you're so worried, Thor. Two of those incidents were your brother's fault, and he's dead.”

Thor and Loki both glared at Darcy. From where she stood near the throne, Starlight giggled, prompting Loki to switch his scowl from Thor to her. The princess instantly shut up, making her face go neutral again. Thor regarded the girl curiously.

“And who might you be?” He asked.

Starlight shot him a charming grin. “I am Princess Starlight of Echo.”

“Echo?” Thor said, confused. “I don't believe I've ever heard of that realm.”

The princess shook her head. “That does not surprise me; my world is very far from this one.”

“Then why are you here?”

"I have given her asylum in Asgard.” Loki interrupted. “And she is not your concern.”

Loki knew that he sounded nothing like Odin would in this situation, but he didn't really care. He hated Thor's lover with a passion, since she was the reason Frigga was dead. Loki also felt that the presence of the two mortal women would cause trouble in the palace, which he already had enough of.

Thor turned back to face the man on the throne. “Please, Father. Jane and Darcy mean no harm to Asgard.”

Loki continued to glare. “You forget, my son, that the mortal girl who hold so dear is the reason your mother is dead.”

Jane opened her mouth, ready to defy Loki's words, but Starlight quickly used her mind-control to calm the head-strong woman down; the princess didn't want to see what Loki would do if Jane confronted him; Starlight knew she might awaken the demon again if she did. Also, she could tell Loki was getting quite angry at this point. She stared at him, wondering if he'd kill Jane, and finding herself liking the idea of someones death. Starlight swallowed and shook her head, willing the monster away. When she placed her eyes back on Loki, she gasped at what she saw.

One of his hands was his own, instead of Odin's.

Without a word, Starlight hauled herself up over the side of the throne and stood in front of Loki, throwing her arms up. The pink, glittery shimmer of her barrier appeared and engulfed the two people in it. Thor saw this and climbed the steps two at a time, trying to get to the barrier before it closed- but he wasn't fast enough. He slammed Mjölnir against the invisible wall, only to be thrown back down a couple of steps.

“What do you think you're doing?” Loki demanded.

“Protecting you!” With the barrier up, Starlight was able to reach down and take Loki's hand, shoving it in his face. “You're losing your form.”

The trickster god stared at his hand, perplexed. “This has never happened before.”

As he said that, the rest of Loki's form fell away and he was himself. He craned his head around Starlight, fear obvious in his face.

“They can't see us.” Starlight assured him. “Nor can they hear us.”

Still unsure, Loki stood up and went to stand in front of Thor, who was still beating on the barrier furiously. He stared at his brother, reaching his hand up to touch the invisible wall. It sent a jolt of electricity through his hand as he touched it and he pulled back quickly. It concealed them completely from prying eyes and ears, much like his own magic did. Of course, he was curious about the barrier, but he ignored it to ask Starlight a different question.

“Why?”

Starlight quirked an eyebrow at him. “Why what?”

“Why did you...” Loki hesitated, unwilling to use the next word, “protect me?”

“Would you rather Thor know that you are not Odin?”

Loki shook his head silently.

“I thought not.” Starlight said with a smirk.

 “I do not understand why my magic failed.” Loki said, examining his hands carefully.

"I think it's because you were angry. The presence of Jane and Darcy's words angered you so much that you lost your concentration for a second...” Starlight smirked again. “All you could think about was killing them, right?”

Loki glared at Starlight. “Do not speak like you know my thoughts.”

Starlight raised her hands in defence. “Fine.”

Suddenly, Thor hit Mjölnir against the barrier again. Starlight winced, and spoke, her voice echoing through the cavernous room. “Thor, _quit it._ ”

“What are you up to, girl?” Thor demanded, smashing his fist against the barrier now.

The princess ignored the blonde brute. “Are you calm now, Loki?”

In response, Loki once again took Odin's form. He stared at and flexed his hands, making sure his magic wasn't going to fail him again. He nodded at Starlight. The girl took a deep breath in and released it as the barrier faded away. As soon as it was gone, Starlight collapsed to the ground with a groan, going unconscious. Lillian was by her side in an instant, knowing that the barrier had made her princess weak.

“Is she okay?” Darcy asked, peering around the maid.

“No.” Lillian answered, turning her attention to Loki. “May I have permission to take Hime-sama back to her chambers? She needs to rest.”

Loki hovered on uncertainty, wondering if all this had been a trick to get Starlight out from under his watch so she could cause more trouble. However, he thought, the princess  _did_ look quite pale and... her skin was taking on an unmistakable bluish tinge. Thor noticed this and stared at his “father” in bewilderment.

“What is the meaning of this, Father?”

Ignoring Thor, Loki gave Lillian permission to take Starlight to her room. The water-nymph stood up and, using the little magic she possessed, created a bed of water to lift the princess up with. She felt slightly embarrassed about having to use her powers in front of these people, but she wasn't strong enough to physically carry Starlight and didn't want anyone else touching her. Lillian led the waterbed out of the room delicately, hoping she would be able to help her princess.

As soon as she got Starlight into bed and covered in multiple blankets to keep her warm, Lillian made her way to the kitchen in hopes that the staff would let her use their tools so she could make her special soup that would help Starlight heal. Luckily, the staff had no problem with letting the tiny maid use their kitchen. Of course, they didn't have all of the ingredients she needed, but she used her magic to make the soup a presentable healing potion. After thanking the staff, Lillian made her way back to Starlight's room.

But she stopped when someone stepped in her path. She looked up to her obstacle's face, only to see Odin's face, but with Loki's green in his one uncovered eye. Lillian quickly looked away, uncomfortable. She would not hesitate to admit that she was petrified of Loki.

“How is your princess?” Loki asked, giving her a cold look.

“She was conscious when I left her.” Lillian said, knowing he wanted a longer answer than the _fine_ she wanted to give him.

“Good.” He ran his finger over his chin in thought. “I must ask a favor of you.”

“ _He's_ asking _?”_ Lillian thought to herself, scoffing inwardly “ _I'd expect him to demand it._ ”

“The servants are preparing a banquet for tonight,” Loki continued without waiting for an answer, “to celebrate Thor's return to Asgard. I ask that you help them.”

Surprisingly enough, Lillian actually found herself excited at the prospect of working in a kitchen again. That had been her main duty back on Echo, since cooking was one of the very few things she exceeded in.

“I'd be happy to help them.” Lillian said honestly. “But I have to bring this soup to Hime-sama.”

“I will do that.” Loki said quickly.

The maid's excitement dissipated, quickly being replaced by suspicion. She met his gaze steadily for the first time since her and Starlight had arrived at the palace; her princess's safety always made her more confidant. Of course, his face didn't betray a hint of whatever he was planning and Lillian couldn't read minds, so she had no idea what the trickster god had lurking up his metaphorical sleeve. Nonetheless, Lillian knew that, even in her weakened state, Starlight wouldn't let herself be brought down by Loki easily. The princess could still take him.

It was that thought that finally made Lillian deposit the tray into Loki's outstretched arms.

“Hurt my princess,” Lillian warned, “and I'll drown you, internally, in your own bodily fluids.”

Without waiting to see his reaction to that, Lillian turned on her heels and went back towards the kitchen. She couldn't read minds, but Starlight could. Lillian made sure to keep her thoughts on the fact that Loki was on his way to Starlight's bedroom, hoping her princess was listening to her thoughts.

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

Loki stood outside Starlight's bedroom, wondering if he should knock or go right in. It was _his_ castle, so he should be able to do as he pleased. However, teachings from his mother were coming back to him. He swore he could hear Frigga's voice in his head, telling him that it would be disrespectful to walk into a woman's room without knocking.

So, he knocked.

“Come in.” A faint voice said on the other side.

Balancing the tray in one hand, Loki opened the thick wooden door and slipped into the room. As soon as the door was shut, he shed Odin's form. He really hated looking into mirrors and seeing the face of his despicable adoptive father. Loki was lucky to have taken his own form, because Starlight's room contained many mirrors. Loki looked around in astonishment at the many different shapes and frames the mirrors had.

“Hello, Loki.” Starlight said.

The princess was standing at the window, her back to him and her arm stretched out before her. She wore a long white nightgown that went to her knees. She turned to face him, and he saw that she still had the appearance of a frost giant.

“This is a strange shape to me.” Starlight said, staring at herself in one of the mirrors. “Its so... cold.”

“You get used to it.” Loki replied, setting the tray down on a table near the door. “Where did all these mirrors come from?”

“They're mine. Even though I'm dead to my world, I still want to keep an eye on it.”

Starlight stepped up to one of the mirrors, then gestured for Loki to come closer. He did, and watched as the girl reached out and brushed her fingertips ever-so-lightly against the glass. The mirror's surface rippled and the image in it changed. Instead of reflecting the room around the two, it now showed an underground cavern full of weapons. Loki saw swords, bows and arrows, daggers, some Midgardian weapons, and weapons he couldn't even name.

“Echo's armory.” Starlight said. “It contains weapons from many different worlds, so Echo is well-equipped to handle most kinds of invasions.”

She moved her fingers slightly to the right and the image changed again. This time, it showed a grand dining hall that was decorated in varying shades of purple and had a crystal chandelier handing from it's ceiling. People ran around energetically, talking to one another as they passed.

“Can they not see us?” Loki asked.

Starlight shook her head. “It works like my barrier; if I wish to only see them, then they will not see me.”

As she starts to move her fingers again, she stops suddenly when a man comes into view of the mirror. He had shoulder length chestnut hair and dark eyes that held unmistakeable sadness in them. Loki watched the princess as carefully as she watched the man in the mirror. There was a hint of sadness in Starlight's eyes, too, but it was hidden under a layer of hardness.

“Is he your lover?” Loki asked casually.

Starlight snorted. “No. He's nothing to me.”

Starlight took her fingers off the glass and it reflected the room they were in once more. She swept over to the window seat and sat down, giving Loki a sly grin. If the princess _had_ been sad when she saw the brown-haired man, the feeling was gone now.

“So where's Lillian? I do hope you didn't harm her in any way; I would hate to have to hurt you after you've been so kind to us.”

“I did not harm your chambermaid.” Loki assured her, sitting down in a chair in front of the mahogany desk. “I merely asked her to help my servants prepare a banquet in honor of Thor's return.”

“Wow.” Starlight said, “You're really putting your heart and soul into keeping up your façade as the All-Father, aren't you?”

Loki ignored her question, instead choosing to ask one of his own, seeing as that was the reason he had wanted to come to the princess in the first place. “What exactly are you?”

Starlight arched an eyebrow at him. “I told you when I first got here, I am a Mirror Soul.”

“Yes, but what, precisely, does that entail?”

“I told you that, too.”

Loki glared at her. “But there is more, is there not? Unless you expect me to believe that you take on the form of a Jötunn every time you are weakened- in which case, you should have already known about being a frost giant.”

The princess's red eyes avoided Loki's. Then, she sighed in resignation. “Fine. I'll tell you..” Starlight turned on her seat so she was facing Loki more and tucked her legs up under her. She bit her lip, wondering where to start. “Souls are... nothing special, really. We're mostly just humans, but with strange blood running through our veins.”

“I don't think humans usually sport the ears of a fox.” Loki pointed out.

“Yes, well... my race has been around for a long time. Throughout the centuries, we have bred with many different beings from many different worlds to strengthen ourselves. But for some reason, the powers of those beings only come out in the people directly related to the royal family. The others are nothing but glorified humans, made different only because of the blood.”

“So then what _is_ the difference between your blood and a mortal's?”

“I can adapt to any world I enter. For example, if a human were to enter a world that did not contain oxygen, they would die. However, if I entered that same world, my blood would change and I would adapt to the air in that world, rendering me able to breathe. Entering one of the Nine Realms awoke the Jötunn blood.”

Loki rubbed his finger over his lips in thought, thinking carefully about his next question. He wanted all the answers she'd be willing to give, but he knew that if the wrong question was asked, Starlight would refuse to provide him with a response.

“What makes the royal family so extraordinary,” He asked finally, “to be the only ones graced with the powers of your many ancestors?”

Before she answered, Starlight got up and fetched something from the top of the dresser. She went back to the window and sat back down before revealing to Loki was she held in her small hand. It was a small metal spike, no bigger than the princess's palm. She twisted the wider end of the spike and a needle was exposed from the other end.

“Inside this vial is a magic spell put into the form of a liquid.” She explained, “5024 years ago, some moron decided that he wanted to kill himself by poison. So, he went off in search of someone who would sell him some. Noone would- except a woman who claimed to be a sorceress. She insisted that the liquid she had would end all his troubles, but only if he drank a small potion of it and took the rest into the afterlife with him. So he did.” Starlight laughed lowly. “Imagine his surprise when the potion didn't kill him.”

“So what did he do, then?” Loki said, enticed by this history lesson about a species he knew nothing about.

“He went to a lake and decided drowning would be the next best way to go.”

“A bit of a masochist, was he?” Loki asked with a dark chuckle.

“Probably.” Starlight said, the thought never occurring to her. “It does seem like he wanted a painful death, doesn't it? But he didn't die from drowning, either. And to spare you the rest of the long history behind my race: the lake transported him to a different place and he decided to use the rest of the liquid to create a new species.”

“Interesting lesson, but it doesn't answer my question.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Don't get your knickers in a knot, I'm getting to it. And you should consider yourself lucky, too,” She leaned towards him and lowered her voice, “because what I am about to tell you is a secret very few people know.”

“Then why are you telling me it?” Loki asked, genuinely curious as to why she'd tell him something that seemed important to keep secret.

“Because I don't see you trying to take over Echo any time soon.”

“What if that is my plan?” Loki asked, raising his chin at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. “What if I am only asking these questions to find out the secrets of your race so I can easily take over your world?”

Starlight flicked her wrist and the vial disappeared. She smirked at him. “You'd have to find the vial first. I'd like to take this moment to point out that I am _very_ good at hide-and-seek. Also, you'd have to get past Fox-face.”

“Fox-face?”

“Yes,” Starlight looked away, picking at a loose thread sticking out from the cushion under her. “The man who wanted me dead so badly that he was ready to sacrifice his own life for it. If he didn't want me (the woman who was... born for the throne) as ruler, I don't believe he'd take too kindly to you.”

Loki was well-aware of the change in atmosphere in the room. It went gloomy and tense quickly, and he forgot about the big secret the princess was going to reveal to him, his mind overtaken by a bigger question with an answer he thought would be more important than the secret.

“Why didn't he want you on the throne?”

Starlight's jaw tensed. “Because I am an imposter.” She said through gritted teeth. “You say I know nothing of your suffering, but I do.”

Loki shook his head, still sure that she didn't. “You don't.” He said coldly.

“Oh?” Starlight stared daggers at him, “Are you sure?”

Loki returned her glare with just as much hostility as her own, standing up. “I am certain of it. Unless you know the pain of having not one, but _two_ chances to rule taken away from you. One because you were considered a defect, the other because of what you really are.”

Starlight stood too, meeting Loki's gaze effortlessly and without fear. “I may not know the first, but I do know the second. Besides, I would assume that you were at least conceived normally!” Now, tears pricked the corners of the princess's eyes, “I was what the Midgardians would call a... test-tube baby. An experiment, created only because the true princess of Echo was having problems developing. Her powers were late coming in, then her parents decided to run away from Echo and seal her powers away. Echo needed a ruler, so the Council went to someone else in the royal family (my mother) and asked her to help them with an experiment they had been working on for some time.”

The princess clenched her hand, and an ice weapon appeared. “I was that experiment.” She said quietly. “An egg was taken from my mother's ovaries and injected with the DNA of the most powerful beings the Souls had ever encountered in their history. Then, the egg was fertilized with the seed of a fox demon and put into my mother's womb. Thus, I was born with more powers than any Mirror Soul had ever had before. The blood of hundreds of beings crawl through my veins, and one is awakened in nearly every world I visit. When Fox-face first threatened me, I jumped to a world I have never been to in order to escape him. It was there that my first monster awakened.”

The fox ears appeared on her head, looking strange (to Loki, at least) when put together with her frost giant form. “As I mentioned, my father is an unknown fox demon; a type of yōkai called a kitsune. Yōkai can be good demons, and they can be bad. I assume my father was a little bit of both, because sometimes I get this... horrible bloodlust, which you witnessed down in the dungeon.”

“So that's why your eyes turned gold in color.” Loki said in apprehension.

“Yes. That was the kitsune wanting to see bloodshed.”

Loki grinned mischievously at her. “I could grant it's wish,” He purred, “starting with my brother's mortal lover.”

Starlight growled at Loki and narrowed her eyes at him. The trickster barely had time to react before she tackled him to the floor, her knees pinning his arms to the ground near his head. Loki was still shocked at her speed, despite the few times where she had already proven herself to be faster than him. Her was hand still frozen into the shape of a dagger and she placed the weapon at Loki's throat. Loki's forehead crinkled in amusement, a thrill rushing through him at the princess's new-found aggressiveness.

“My, my, Princess.” Loki said, his voice thick with arousal. “You say you don't want bloodshed, but your eyes are the prettiest of golds at this moment.”

The princess squeezed her eyes shut, breathing hard, trying to push the monster away again. She took some of her weight off of Loki's arms and he yanked them out from under her. Using one of his newly freed hands, he reached up and cupped the back of her neck, tugging her face closer to his.

“Honestly, Princess,” He said, his breath hot against her neck, “I cannot fathom the reason why you hate your dark side so; I quite like you this way.”

Starlight's still-golden eyes shot open and she stared at him curiously. Those were strange words for her to hear. Usually, people told her to hide the monster, to push it away and pretend it didn't exist. Though, to Starlight, it made sense that Loki wouldn't mind her dark side, since he had one of his own.

Loki smirked suddenly, taking Starlight's moment of confusion to flip their positions around. He pinned her down with his legs straddling her hips. The princess looked astonished.

“You tricky bastard.” Starlight hissed, venom laced in her voice. She tried to stab him with the dagger, but he caught her wrist easily.

“I don't know what you were expecting,” Loki said with a chuckle, “I _am_ the God of Mischief.”

The god, keeping one knee on Starlight's chest, lifted one foot and brought it down onto Starlight's hand, crushing the icy weapon. She cried out, attempting to free her arm from under his boot and failing miserably.

“I believe you are out of weapons.” Loki said, putting more pressure on her hand.

“Not quite.” Starlight growled, using her other hand to conjure up some blue foxfire. She slapped the flames against Loki's thigh.

As he clutched at his burning clothes, she pushed him off of her and jumped up. She was no longer in her Jötunn form, the blue flames seeming to melt the ice away. Loki got the flames patted out and examined his clothing; not a hole or burn mark to be seen.

“I've got weapons you could only dream about having.” Starlight said coolly, flexing hands that burned with foxfire.

Loki laughed shortly. “You never cease to amaze me, Princess.”

He came closer to her again. Very slowly, as if reaching out to a frightened animal, Loki extended his hand and brushed a strand of Starlight's hair out of her face. Her breath hitched and her whole body tensed, not quite sure what Loki was up to. They stared at each other for a minute or so, both of their expressions unreadable. Starlight opened her mouth to question him, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Your Highness?” Sif's voice called out. “Are you in here?”

Starlight backed away, whatever spell she had been under broken by the Lady Sif's voice. Without a word, Loki once again took Odin's form. He gave Starlight one last fleeting glance before leaving the room. Curious, the princess perked her animal ears, listening to the conversation outside her door.

“Heimdall sees a strange man camping near the outskirts of the city.” Sif was saying.

“What is he doing?” Loki asked, and the voices started to retreat.

Starlight didn't follow. She collapsed against the window, still too confused about what had just happened between her and Loki. Had he been trying to distract her so he could hurt her, or had there been a different plan on his mind? Usually, Starlight could just read the mind of the person that was muddling up her thoughts, but Loki's mind was protected from her powers, and that bothered her greatly.

Another knock at the door snapped Starlight out of her thoughts and she raised her head as it opened. Lillian came in and studied her princess closely.

“Forgive me, Hime-sama, but you look horrible.”

The black-haired girl laughed bitterly. “Yeah, I've been through... something.”

Lillian squinted at Starlight, looking her up and down. “Loki didn't hurt you, did he?”

“No.” Starlight shook her head, “Not really.”

The maid opened her mouth, ready to speak up against the 'not really,' but then thought better of it. Starlight wasn't physically hurt, so Lillian knew her princess would be fine.

“You've been using the mirrors.” Lillian said matter-of-factly, coming further into the room.

“Yeah, so? I made sure nobody could see me.”

“But someone _did_ see you, Hime-sama.”

The princess tensed. “Who?”

Lillian wrung her hands together nervously, stopping right in front of Starlight.

“Master Roki did, Hime-sama. He knows you're not dead and found you here in Asgard.”

Lillian took Starlight by the shoulders.

“He's come to take you home, whether or not you choose go willingly.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This has got to be the longest chapter I've ever written for ANY of my stories. I'm kind of proud of myself. I really hope you guys liked this chapter, because I wasn't sure about a lot of it. Reviews are appreciated, so I know what I'm doing wrong (or right)! Don't be afraid to speak your mind! ^-^
> 
> ~Rina


	4. Undying Loyalty

Loki paced the throne room, trying to decide what to do about the mysterious man on the outskirts of the city. Heimdall was standing at the base of the dais, watching his king stride back and forth with a worried look on his face.

“Even though he has a weapon, he does not seem dangerous.” Heimdall said, standing tall as Loki flicked his cold gaze onto the gatekeeper.

“But what if he is?” Loki replied, glancing down at his hands to make sure he was still in Odin's form.

Before he had entered the throne room after Sif had retrieved him, Loki had nearly turned back into himself. He didn't know exactly why, but he had a feeling it had something to do with Starlight. The princess had made something strange stir within him and he did not like the feeling at all, since it was distracting him from his magic.

“You have never been one to question something like this so extensively before, Your Highness.” Heimdall said, keeping his inquisitive gaze on Loki. “Why are you doing so now?”

Loki turned his back on Heimdall. The gatekeeper saw everything and Loki was unsure whether or not Heimdall knew he wasn't Odin. Yes, Loki could hide himself from Heimdall's all-seeing eyes, but he always wondered if he magic failed at times. Did it still work when Loki was asleep? Could the real Odin ever override Loki's magic and show Heimdall that he was in the dungeon? The trickster shook his head. No, that was impossible.

“ _I need to stop questioning myself._ ” Loki thought.

“I have learned,” Loki said aloud, keeping his back to Heimdall, “That, sometimes, examining my options rather than charging straight in may produce a better result.”

“So what have you decided?” Heimdall asked.

Loki took a deep breath. “Send two guards to the man and see if they can apprehend him. Send Sif, as well. Maybe our visitor will refuse to fight a woman, giving us--”

“That won't work.” A female voice interrupted.

Loki turned back around to see Starlight sweeping into the room, her maid close behind. The princess wore a purple, shimmering dress that was much too long for her; she had some of the dress bunched in her fist, revealing bare feet, making it look like Starlight had dressed in a hurry.

“Why not?” Loki asked her.

“I know your mysterious visitor, and trust me when I say he will have no problem fighting a woman.”

“Let me guess,” Loki muttered, “He's from Echo.”

Starlight nodded, her lips forming a tight line.

“Then what do  _you_ suggest we do, Princess?” Loki asked, using her title mockingly.

Starlight caught the derisive tone, but ignored it. “I'd suggest five soldiers; two to confront him, two to sneak up behind him, and one more to surprise him.” Starlight smirked, “You know, just in case the first four die.”

“Is that really necessary?” Heimdall asked.

The princess blinked at the gatekeeper, as if just realizing that he was in the room. “Yes,” She replied, “This man is a highly trained swordsman; he once brought down twenty men all on his own.”

“But he was under the spell then, Hime-sama.” Lillian said quietly.

“What spell?” Loki asked, making the maid jump, since she hadn't meant for the god to hear her.

“It's a spell Fox-face put on him. It clouds his judgement and enhances his natural abilities. However, my maid has forgotten that the spell is still there. I tried to get it out of him once, but I failed.”

Starlight shifted her eyes to the floor. Her voice had cracked during that last sentence and Loki watched with interest as she fought with a strong emotion trying to break free, most likely anger.

Suddenly, Lillian tensed. “Hime-sama, he senses you; he's on his way to the palace.”

Loki turned to Heimdall, who nodded to confirm Lillian's words. Loki wanted to know how Lillian knew the mysterious man's moves, but he decided to leave that question for later. Instead, he turned to Starlight.

“You know him better than I, what do you think should be done?” Loki asked.

Starlight's squinted at Loki inquiringly. “You're asking _me_ what _you_ should do?”

His patience was getting thin, so Loki merely nodded. Starlight looked genuinely taken aback by the request. She turned to Lillian, obviously needing help of her own.

“Master Roki is relying on a fleeting glance in a mirror and your scent to find you, Hime-sama” Lillian said, “He should not be given physical proof that you are alive, or he will go back to Echo and report it. Therefore, I suggest you hide.” Lillian faced Loki, “For you, I'd suggest putting the exact number of guards Hime-sama suggested earlier at the door; don't let Master Roki in unless he's in chains.”

Loki nodded, giving the orders to Heimdall. The gatekeeper left the room and Loki took his own appearance back. Starlight glanced around the room, eyeing the guards that were still in the room.

“They know I am not Odin.” Loki said, knowing what was on her mind.

“Really?”

Loki smirked. “If you really knew everything, Princess, you'd know that Laufey once said that the 'house of Odin is full of traitors.'” He put extra emphasis on the plural of _traitors,_ making sure Starlight heard it.

“Oh, right.” Starlight murmured, a thoughtful look on her face. “I'll have to go back and watch the movies again.”

Loki opened his mouth to question her, but footsteps outside made him stop.

“Hime-sama, go back to your chambers.” Lillian said, tugging Starlight towards the door. “Before Master Roki arrives!”

The princess wrenched her arm from the maid's hand. “No way, I want to see this.”

 She raised her barrier, disappearing from sight.

"But, Hime-sama,” Lillian whined, “You're still weak.”

“Hush, and find yourself a cloak.” Starlight's disembodied voice said.

Lillian brought her palm to her face, shaking her head. One of the guards handed her a black velvet cloak and she donned it, pulling the hood up over her face and standing at the bottom of the throne. When Heimdall's voice called into the room, Loki took Odin's form long enough to let the other guards in. They dropped a brown-haired male onto the stone floor, then Loki dismissed them all but his trusted guards so he could appear as himself. He walked off the dais and stood in front of the chained man at his feet, whom he instantly recognized as the man from Starlight's mirror.

“Stand up.” Loki demanded. He was ignored, so he kicked the man in the ribs and repeated his demand, louder and firmer than before.

Roki stood, glaring at Loki out from under the hair that had fallen into his face. Loki gestured to one of the guards and told him to hold the swordsman back using the chains that bound his feet and wrists.

“He looks quite pissed.” Starlight's voice said into Loki's ear, followed by a giggle. Loki tried to wave her away, only to hit his hand on the electric barrier. “Careful, Trickster.”

Loki ignored the princess and addressed Roki. “What is your name?” Once again, Roki chose silence. Loki growled and grabbed the younger man by the throat. “Answer me!”

“Ro-Roki.” The swordsman gasped out.

The trickster dropped the other man back to the ground and started pacing around him. “What is your business in Asgard, Roki?”

“I come seeking a monster.” Roki replied, his voice strong again.

Placing himself in front of the swordsman again, Loki smirked. “There are no monsters here.” _Except for myself,_ Loki added in his mind, tempted to give Roki frostbite.

Roki laughed bitterly. “You probably haven't noticed it. It likes to take the form of a pretty girl with black hair and blue eyes.”

A scoff sounded from the invisible princess. “So I'm an it now, huh?”

The swordsman didn't seem to hear her, so Loki came to the conclusion that Starlight could pick and choose who heard her speak when inside the barrier. Once again, Loki didn't acknowledge her words.

“Your monster is not here.” Loki answered. “Your trip has been in vain.”

It was Roki's turn to growl, a low sound in the back of his throat that was not nearly as threatening as Loki's was.

“I _know_ she's here. I've seen her and I can smell her. Listen to me,” Roki tried to step towards the god, but the guard yanked him back roughly. It barely fazed the swordsman. “the monster is dangerous. It would not hesitate to kill you, especially if you anger it. It'll betray everyone who shows it trust or love. It nearly drowned a girl who was supposed to be it's best friend, and it _did_ kill a girl who stayed by her side through thick and thin. It has no mercy, no soul. If you protect it, you will put your whole kingdom in danger! It _needs_ to come back to my home planet with me so I can dispose of it properly. It--”

The words in Roki's throat faltered, fading away with a strangled cry. He was choking, but on what, Loki couldn't tell. He looked around the room and spotted Lillian coming closer, one arm raised towards the swordsman. The maid used her free hand to pull back the hood of her cloak, revealing her face. Roki's eyes went wide, ecstatic at seeing the water-nymph alive, despite the fact she was currently trying to kill him.

“Lily...” Roki was only able to choke out that one word before Lillian's hand twitched and his words were cut off once more.

“ _Don't call me that._ ” Lillian cried, “You do _not_ have the right to call me that anymore, you... you... double-crosser!” Her hand twitched again, filling his lungs with more fluid.

“Should I stop her?” Loki whispered to the invisible Starlight.

“No,” Starlight said, “I want to see if she'll actually kill him.”

Loki had a feeling that if he could see the princess at this moment, he would be looking into eyes of gold.

“Hime-sama is not a monster.” Lillian said quietly, “The only monster is you, Master Roki. You claim to have loved Hime-sama, but here you are, more than willing to deliver her to her death” Lillian sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. “Were she not already dead.”

After a few more seconds, Lillian's hand formed a fist, cutting off the flow of power. Roki doubled over, violently vomiting water onto the stone floor. Once all the liquid was gone from his lungs, he took in a huge gulp of air.

“You're alive,” was the first thing that came out of the brown-haired youth's mouth as soon as he could speak. “But Starlight is not your princess anymore.”

“She will always be my princess!” Lillian shouted, “She saved me from a lifetime of abuse and slavery, so no matter who sits on the throne of Echo, Starlight will always be the one I give my loyalty to. Even in death.”

“How sweet.” Starlight said, her voice full of emotion.

“Lillian, please..” Roki pleaded, “You know it is capable of mind control. You need to break that spell and see how wrong your words are.”

Lillian screamed in rage, slapping Roki across the face so hard that even Loki winced from where he stood, a few feet away.

“There is no spell that makes me speak these words; they are the truth,” Lillian brought both her hands up to her chest, placing them over her heart, “coming straight from my heart and soul. I love her and there is nothing you can say to make me change my mind.”

Roki lowered his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. “I see...” He said in a shaking voice. “Then I have no choice but to force away the grip the monster has on your heart.”

Quick as lightening, Roki surged forward, catching even the guard who held his chains by surprise- the man let go to prevent the chains from hurting himself. Roki grabbed Lillian and spun her around, throwing his bound wrists around her neck and choking her with the chain. The maid gasped, clawing at the chains frantically and earning a punch from the swordsman, in the face, for doing so.

“I know you're hiding here, Starlight.” Roki called out to the air, “Reveal yourself, and I won't have to kill Lily.”

“He wouldn't.” Starlight breathed. Loki could almost feel how tense the princess obviously was.

The swordsman tightened his grip and the chains cut into Lillian's skin, drawing blood. His eyes were crazed and Starlight realized that, yes, he _would_ kill Lillian if she didn't come out of hiding. Without a second thought, she dropped the barrier and, in one quick motion, drew a dagger from Loki's belt, making the trickster jump slightly. Using her yōkai speed, she appeared in front of Roki. Using her foxfire, she cut the chains that bound his wrists together and yanked the water-nymph out of his grasp.

“You want to see a monster, Roki?” Starlight growled, “I'll show you one.”

The princess's skin started fading into blue and her golden irises turned red. Roki watched in horror as raised lines appeared all over Starlight's body.

“You really are a monster.” The swordsman hissed. “How did you escape death?”

Starlight chuckled darkly. “A Princess never dies before her time, you know that, Ro-chan...” She grabbed him by the throat. “I don't think you've ever experienced frostbite before. Let's see how you like it.”

As the cold seeped into the swordsman's skin, it went numb and he gasped. Just as Starlight had said, he had never experienced frostbite and it wasn't a feeling he was enjoying. He squirmed in his former ruler's grasp, trying to get away, but she had become stronger in the year she had been away.

“Starlight...” Roki's eyes became clear for the briefest second, grief and sorrow replacing hatred. “Please...”

His skin was starting to turn black from the ice. For a millisecond, the princess thought about releasing him, but a pained gasp from Lillian pushed that thought out of Starlight's head. Instead of letting him go, she thrust the dagger she had taken from Loki into the swordsman's stomach, expertly avoiding any major organs. Blood welled out around the blade, painting Starlight's hand red. She finally let go of his neck, letting Roki drop to the floor while he, simultaneously, tried to clutch at his neck and stomach. Starlight knelt next to him, her body trembling in anger.

“Please get Lillian help.” Starlight mumbled.

“Get the nymph to the healing room!” Loki told a couple of guards, who instantly obeyed. Once they were gone, Loki went and stood above Starlight. “What are you going to do with him?”

Reluctantly, Starlight yanked the dagger out of the the man under her. A stream of blood followed the knife, splattering over the stone floor. Starlight waved her hand over the wound, staunching the bleeding.

“He needs to go back to Echo.” She answered quietly, standing up to face Loki. Her skin was pale again, but her eyes were gold. She wiped the blood off the dagger using her dress sleeve and held it out to Loki.

“Why don't you just kill him?” Loki asked, taking the dagger and putting it back in his belt.

Starlight laughed resentfully. “If I could, I would. But if he dies, a whole army of Souls will come after his body- and also after me. I can't bring something like that into Asgard. So, I will return Roki to Echo and then come back. Will you take care of Lillian for me while I'm gone?”

Now, Starlight glanced up at Loki through her eyelashes. The complete and utter vulnerability in her eyes in that second appalled the trickster, making him step back slightly as his heart clenched. Quickly, Loki composed himself again, putting the mask of indifference back in place.

“Of course.” He said in an even voice, avoiding Starlight's eyes, “My plans of conquering Echo may not work well if I lose your trust by letting your chambermaid suffer.”

The princess rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. “Thanks, then, I suppose.”

Once the injured swordsman was put into more chains, he was thrown into the dungeon while Starlight got ready for her trip. She packed quickly, planning to leave the next day. After she was done packing, she visited Lillian, who was still in the healing room. She sent the healers away and sat on the bed next to Lillian. The maid had a slightly-bloody bandage wrapped around her neck.

“I'm sorry, Lillian.” Starlight said, stroking the water-nymph's swollen cheek.

Lillian put her hand over Starlight's and sighed. “It's not your fault, Hime-sama. Master Roki is ill,” She paused. “Our whole race is.”

The two women hugged and Starlight whimpered into Lillian's shoulder, feeling immensely guilty about her friend's injury and the fact that Lillian was right. Their race was in danger, but there was nothing either of them could do about it; not without an army, at least. Starlight let a few tears slip, feeling overwhelmed by everything. Lillian cooed soothing words in the older girl's ears for a few seconds before the princess pulled away, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“What are you going to do with Master Roki?” Lillian asked.

“Kill him...” Starlight muttered, then patted Lillian's cheek reassuringly when the nymph's face turned horrified. “Calm yourself- I'm just joking. He's in the dungeon right now, but I'm leaving tomorrow to return him to Echo.”

“What?” Lillian sat up quickly, “You can't do that! They'll know you entered Echo and capture you!”

“It'll be fine, Lillian.” Starlight said in an assuring voice. “I'll enter the world far enough away that they won't be able to detect me and I'll use my barrier to disguise myself.”

“But Hime-sama, most of the other Souls can sense your barrier, especially since you haven't rested much since you passed out earlier.”

Biting her lip, Starlight nodded, knowing Lillian was right.

“But I have to return him, Lillian, or they'll send others after him.”

“Could they sense my magic?” Loki asked from the doorway, making the two Souls jump in surprise; neither of them had heard or saw him appear.

“I--,” Starlight pondered it for a second. “I don't believe so. Why?”

“Perhaps... I could accompany you to your home world.” Loki said hesitantly. “We could use my magic to camouflage ourselves and your kind will not be able to sense you.”

Starlight narrowed her eyes at Loki, suspicious. “What's the catch?”

“No, ah... catch?” Loki assured her, slightly unsure about the informal phrase, “I am curious about what a world outside the Nine Realms would be like, that's all.”

“Don't you have a kingdom to run?” Starlight asked, still wary.

“Thor is here; I'll let him rule in my place while we are gone.”

The princess studied Loki. She didn't trust him, especially since he was willing to give Thor the throne just so the trickster could go to Echo with her. Why, after going through so much trouble just to get the throne, why was he jumping at the opportunity to give it up (even if it was only for a couple days).

“Fine.” Starlight said, giving Loki the benefit of the doubt. “Meet me in my rooms first thing in the morning.”

Without waiting for his response, Starlight gave Lillian a kiss on the forehead and swept out of the room. On her way by, her hand brushed against Loki's slightly, making the trickster twitch and pull away. Lillian noticed this, but she knew that if she commented on it, Loki would deny it.

So, instead, she said, “Try not to lose yourself in Echo.”

Loki squinted at her, confused. “I do not plan on getting lost.”

Lillian rolled over in her bed, facing away from Loki. “No-one ever does.”

 

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

 

That evening, the feast for Thor still went on. Starlight attended, but only because Jane had asked her to.

“I feel comfortable around you,” Jane had answered when the princess had questioned the scientist as to why she wanted her to go, “And since Darcy ditched me for _Fandral the Dashing,”_ Jane mimicked Darcy's voice, making it sound lovestruck, “I'm going to need someone to talk to.”

“What about Thor? I'm sure you feel comfortable around your own lover.”

Jane shrugged. “Well sure, but he's celebrating with his friends tonight, whom he hasn't seen in three months. Meanwhile, he has barely left my side during those months. I think we can stand a night without being attached at the hip.”

The princess smiled and laughed cheerfully. She agreed to go, leaving her room and walking towards the banquet hall with Jane. As they got closer to the room, they could hear joyful talking and laughing. Upon entering, they found Thor seated with Sif and the Warriors Three around him as they all traded stories about what had happened during their separation. 'Odin' sat at the end of the table, looking all the part of a father glad to see his son again. Starlight almost rolled her eyes and the effort he put into this. There had also been a few other important Asgardians invited, making it a very crowded event.

Jane and Starlight chose to just grab drinks and head out to the balcony. They sat on the railing and looked out over Asgard as they talked.

“So what do you know about earth?” Jane asked.

Starlight smiled. “I know it is a lot like my own.”

Jane cocked her head at the princess. “A lot like your own planet?”

“Like my own earth.”

“But...” Jane looked thoroughly confused and Starlight was enjoying every second of it. “Thor said that Odin told him that you were from a place called Echo, or something.”

“I am from Echo, but a lot of my people choose to live in other worlds, since our powers allow us to travel freely; my parents chose a world much like yours. It's even called earth. We have the same solar system, the same continents, countries- everything. The only difference is that we don't have superheroes.”

“Really?” Jane was amazed, the curious scientist in her already wondering about the chance of going to this world. “Is there even all the same people?”

“Yes, to a certain extent. I've met people in your earth and mine who are exactly the same. But if you're asking if there is another you, there is not.” Jane looked crestfallen. “Sorry, but to my earth, you don't exist except as a comic book character.”

Jane questioned that, and Starlight explained to the woman what Mirror Souls were exactly. She gave a brief history about how the race started, and then talked about how some Souls made money by taking the stories of one world and passing them off as fiction in another world. Starlight went on to explain the Marvel universe to the scientist, as well. By the end of it, Jane was nearly bouncing with excitement.

“This is so incredible. To think that there is a whole world out there that is almost exactly like mine, but with so many differences. Do you think there are other parallel worlds like our earths?”

“I know there are. History classes in Echo focus on many multiverse theories, most of which we prove by travelling to different worlds.”

“Wow. This information has the potential to change so much of my research....” Jane paused. “Can you tell me about Echo, too?”

Starlight nodded, happy to be able to talk to someone who was genuinely interested in her home worlds. “Echo is.... so wonderful. It-- ow!”

The princess glanced down at her feet, which she had been swinging back and forth and had hit one against the stone pillar behind her. She brought her foot up to examine it, finding a scrape that was bleeding slightly.

“Why aren't you wearing shoes?” Jane asked, an older-sister-like instinct kicking in, which she thought was strange.

“It is because of an Echonian holiday.”

The two females turned towards the doors to the dining hall, where the accented male voice had come from. Hogun was standing in the doorway, eyeing Starlight with an unreadable expression, making the princess squirm uncomfortably.

“Am I correct?” Hogun asked. Jane looked at the princess, wondering herself if the warrior was right.

“You are.” Starlight confirmed. Her whole body was tense and on alert, searching for signs of a threat in Hogun's words. She kept talking, knowing Jane was curious. “It is the Day of Unity in Echo. On this day, Souls celebrate the time when we finally found a planet to call our own. Men and women wear a purple garment of a natural Echonian fabric and walk around in their bare feet so they can fully appreciate the natural wonders of our planet- and the fact that those natural wonders (both plants and animals alike) haven't chosen to kill us yet. Basically, it's a day where we worship nature.”

“And may the Unity last until the Echoes end.” Hogun recited, a doubtful smile decorating his usually grim face.

Starlight swallowed. “You are Echonian.” She stated. The fact didn't make her relax any, since most Echonians currently wanted her dead.

“Much of my mother's family is, yes.”

Hogun glanced back into the party. No-one had noticed that he had slipped away yet. He stepped out further onto the balcony, making Starlight bristle like a cornered cat. Her fox ears appeared and her eyes faded to purple, the result of her body instinctively picking fight over flight. The change made Jane jump back in surprise.

“You fear me.” Hogun declared passively.

The princess nodded firmly, not afraid to admit her fear. “Currently, there are thousands of my own kind wishing for my public death; I think I have good reason to fear one who may also be part of that number.”

Very calmly, Hogun came closer still. Starlight snarled, warning him to halt. He did, and a thoughtful look crossed his face for a second. Finally, he seemed to have chosen something. He made a fist with his right hand and placed it just under his navel. Then, he offered his left hand, palm turned upwards, to Starlight. He bowed his head, waiting. Jane glanced back and forth between the warrior and the princess, wondering what was going to happen.

Starlight stared at Hogun. She knew exactly what he was offering, but it didn't make her relax any. Yes, he may have Soul blood in him, but he was Vanir before he was a Soul. That meant that he could make it look like he was on her side all he wanted, but at the same time, wasn't bound by Echo's moral laws; he could break any promises he made without any consequences. She glanced behind him, finding Loki and most of the rest of the party staring at them peculiarly. Despite the delay she was making, she sighed, already knowing what she would do.

“You have made a scene, warrior.” Starlight said as she clasped Hogun's outstretched palm in both her hands. “I accept your proposal. Now, go back to your party.”

Hogun smiled and pulled his hand away. He gave another slight bow of his head and turned to go back into the dining hall. He rejoined his friends, probably being asked what that has been all about.

“What did he just offer?” Jane asked.

Loki was still staring at Starlight, looking displeased at the spectacle he had just witnessed. Starlight winked at the disguised god before turning back towards Jane with a smile.

“He offered me his undying loyalty."

 


	5. Echo

Thanks to Thor, the plans for the next morning had to change slightly.

Instead of leaving quietly (like Starlight had wanted to) from the princess's bedroom, a large gilded mirror was brought into the throne room. The reason for this was that Thor wanted to see his 'father' off, and Starlight refused to let the big oaf into her chambers since Lillian had taken to resting there.

Thor couldn't understand why the All-Father wanted to accompany Starlight on her journey, nor did he want him to do so. The thunderer was suspicious of Starlight and had made a huge fuss about 'Odin' going to Echo with her when it had been brought up at the feast the night before. Of course, nothing Thor could have said would have changed Loki's mind. So, while Thor, Starlight, two of the Warriors Three (one could only guess where Fandral was), and Jane all waited in the throne room for the All-Father to show up, Thor questioned Starlight on any secret plans she may have.

“If I had any secret plans, Thor,” Starlight said as she was braiding her hair, “I would be stupid to tell them to you. But if it makes you feel better, I don't. Your father offered to come, both as protection and out of curiosity. I am not forcing him to make this trip with me.”

“My father has never been one to act on curiosity.” Thor muttered.

“Well I don't know what to tell you.” Starlight said, tying off the end of her braid. “Take it up with him.”

“I did so last night; he did not give many answers.”

Starlight shrugged and walked away, wanting to be as far away from the thunderer as possible.

“Princess,”

Hogun stepped towards Starlight, speaking in the Souls' native tongue as well as he could. He extended his left palm towards her, much like he had done the night before. But this time, Starlight didn't hesitate in taking his hand between her two. To the Asgardians, Hogun's words and actions were strange, but they were perfectly normal to a Soul like Starlight. She was glad to have him as an ally; it meant that there were still Souls out there who didn't want her dead, and that gave the princess hope.

“My mother was informed of your presence here in Asgard.” Hogun said, still speaking the Soul language, “She was pleased to hear that you are alive and sends her regards. And this, as well.”

The warrior took a small, golden velvet pouch out from under his armor. He offered it to Starlight, who accepted it gratefully. She fingered the pouch gently, feeling some kind of powder moving in it.

“What is it?” She asked.

Hogun chuckled, a weird sound to hear from him, “That, she would not tell me. She only said to let you know that it would help you in your most desperate time.”

“Tell your mother thank you.” Starlight said, tying the bag to her belt loop.

Just then, the doors to the room flew open and 'Odin' sauntered in, fully dressed in armor that shone brightly. He was flanked by two guards, and those two men were carrying Roki in between them. The swordsman was bound with more chains than before and had a muzzle clamped around his lower jaw.

“That's a good look for you, Ro-chan.” Starlight said sweetly.

Roki glared at Starlight, a muffled growl coming out from under his gag. In response, Starlight gripped his chains, impregnating the metal with foxfire and making it burn in every place it touched skin. The burn wasn't enough to damage the skin, but enough to cause a discomfort that would discourage the male Soul from trying to escape.

“So what's the plan?” Loki asked once Starlight had taken her attention off the younger man.

“As Lillian mentioned yesterday, the Souls will know when we enter Echo. However, I know a place that is out of range of the trackers.” Roki's eyebrows shot up at Starlight's words, “Oh, don't look so surprised. I was always very thorough in my childhood explorations; there isn't a corner I don't know on that planet. Anyway,” She turned back to Loki, “its a two-day trip from that location to the place I have chosen to drop  _him_ off at. To come back to Asgard, we have to travel back to the starting point. Are you sure you still want to come?”

Loki nodded firmly.

“Father, please,” Thor started, but was silenced by one annoyed look. “Return home safely.” Thor muttered instead of whatever else he had been about to say.

Starlight took Roki's chains from the guards and yanked him behind her as she went over to the large mirror in front of the throne. She closed her eyes, murmured a few words, and touched the mirror lightly. Loki watched, no less fascinated than he had been the night before, as the image in the glass changed to show a forest. The others in the room were mesmerized, too (save for Hogun), by the mirror's change. Starlight pushed Roki towards the mirror and the glass rippled like water as he fell through. The princess then reached out for Loki, who took her hand hesitantly. She stepped through, pulling the god with her. Loki closed his eyes, his body meeting with a slight resistance and a significant drop in temperature. Once the resistance was gone, Loki dropped the All-Father's form, his own green and gold armor appearing, and opened his eyes.

The trees' full, green leaves let only a few slivers of light in, blanketing the forest floor in an eerie silence. Loki looked behind him, trying to see how they had come into the world. Built into a large tree was a mirror, and it was currently sliding back into the tree. A second later, one would never know there was ever a mirror there. Small, brown, and furry animals with floppy ears twisted themselves around the trios' ankles. They greeted Starlight by pawing at her shins and making tiny squeaks and purrs, prompting the princess to bend down and pick up the smallest of the creatures. It nuzzled against her neck, squealing happily.

“The wispies know where their loyalties lie.” Starlight said to Roki with a smirk.

“Why are they called wispies?” Loki asked, staring curiously at the dog-rabbit hybrids.

A smirk still on her face, Starlight threw the creature in her hand up into the air. It flew up a few feet before seeming to freeze in place for a second. Then, it exploded into a small cloud of fog. The mist drifted down to the ground where it turned into a solid animal once more. The being snorted lightly, then the whole group of them trotted off merrily. Loki was silent, but his wide eyes said it all. Starlight giggled.

“Welcome to Echo, Loki.” She took a deep breath, breathing in the pure air. “I'm glad to be home.”

Starlight picked up the knapsack she had dropped and started down a barely-visible path through the forest. With a jerk of his wrist, Loki activated his magic and make them all untraceable. The princess told Loki that they should all walk in total silence, barely even daring to breathe. Even Roki stopped struggling, knowing that making a sound in an Echonian forest meant death. They walked for nearly six hours before Starlight stopped suddenly, her fox ears twitching as she listened for something.

“We haven't been noticed yet.” She said lowly, “But it's almost sundown. If we don't find a camp, the animals in here will make sure we _are_ noticed.”

“How?” Loki asked.

“How would the animals reveal us?” Loki nodded in affirmation. “Most Echonian animals are nocturnal and if they find us tramping around their home at night, they'll light up and send a warning to the other animals. That will notify the Souls that something strange is in the forest.”

“Your animals _light up_?” Loki shook his head. That knowledge, along with the memory of the exploding creature from earlier, made Loki wonder if this trip would end up giving too much information to him.

“Yes. Now come this way.”

Starlight ventured off the path, heading to the left. An hour later, they ended up in a small clearing. The dying sunlight gave off just enough light for Starlight to work by. She handed Roki's chains to the trickster and then dropped her knapsack on the ground. First, she took out a small cylinder, about the length of her forearm. She stuck it into the ground and twisted the top of it. It dug itself deeper into the ground and Starlight jiggled it to make sure it was steady; it was. She took the chains back and touched them to the cylinder- they fused to each other, preventing the prisoner from getting away.

“You look like a dog, Roki!” Starlight giggled, then dropped her smile. “I should leave you without shelter.”

For the first time, the swordsman looked genuinely panicked, shaking his head hard and mumbling pleadingly. Starlight let him panic for a little longer before setting up a shelter with only a roof. Roki had enough slack in his chain to slide under the middle of the roof.

“Keep your hands and feet in!” Starlight sang to him before picking up her backpack and walking over to the other side of the clearing.

Loki followed, crouching down in the grass with Starlight. “Why was he so frightened?”

Starlight rolled a tarp out onto the grass. “It rains at night.” She said, pulling a tab on the tarp, making it pop up into a tent.

Loki barely spared a glance for the sudden shelter. “So?”

A giggle bubbled up Starlight's throat as she threw her backpack into the tent.

“It rains acid.” She said as she crawled into the tent. With slight reluctance, Loki followed. He didn't like the cramped space inside the tent, but decided it was better than risking acid rain.

“That must contaminate your water, yes? What do you drink?”

Without a word, Starlight took out a small pocket mirror and set in down onto her lap. Next, she took a thermos out of the bag and unscrewed the cap. She instructed Loki to hold the cup as she once again picked up the mirror, holding it over the thermos. She touched the mirror lightly and a small trickle of water fell from it's surface. Once the thermos was full, Starlight removed her hand and the flow of water stopped. Loki blinked at the now-full cup.

“Well, take a drink,” Starlight said as she snapped the mirror shut and put it back into her pocket, “It won't kill you.”

Slowly, Loki brought the thermos to his lips and drank. The water tasted strangely sweet on his tongue, but it was cold and delicious. He handed the thermos back to Starlight, who took a drink herself, then capped the cup and placed it back in the bag.

The two then stayed up, Loki casually asking more questions about Echo and it's culture. He was mostly interested in how Souls were a mix of many different beings; and no matter what kind of creature a Soul was, they were still accepted as Echonian.

“We're one big family.” Starlight said quietly. “We even have people on the planet who aren't Souls, but came for refuge when their own world was in distress. We accept these people, as well, as if they were born Souls.”

Loki soaked up this information quietly, his face thoughtful. Starlight knew why he was curious about that particular aspect of Echo. It was because he liked the idea of being accepted unconditionally, no matter what his origins. Of course, Loki would never admit that himself, and Starlight knew she would only get shunned if she brought it up. So she stayed silent.

“Well, I'm going to try and get some sleep.” Starlight said, turning away from Loki and curling up into a ball under one of the thin blankets she had brought with her. “You should try to do the same.”

“That is unnecessary.” Loki said stiffly. “I'm a god; I don't need as much sleep as mortals do.”

“Neither do I, but sleep is nice.” Starlight paused. “It gives you a break from the harsh reality of things.”

Loki inclined his head towards the princess. She was still facing away from him, but her body had curled up tighter under her blanket. The annoying urge to reach out and comfort the girl filled Loki, but he resisted it by folding his hands together and using them to prop his face up as he stared out the unzipped window.

“I'll keep watch.” He murmured, keeping his voice even.

Nothing but deep breathing came from the Soul; she had fallen asleep. Loki slowly leaned over her body, taking a quick peek at her face before reclining back to his side of the tent. In sleep, Starlight's face wasn't so rigid. The lines formed from worry, anger, and the smirk she constantly hid behind disappeared, making her look years younger.

Just then, the rain started. It beat hard against the roof of the tent and sizzled when it hit the ground. Loki fought with the zipper of the window, getting the flap up enough that the deadly liquid couldn't splash into the tent. He hesitated slightly, then resigned to lying down next to Starlight. He'd stay awake, but there was no reason for him not to be comfortable. Then tent was long enough that he could lie on his back and stretch out. He listened to the unfamiliar sounds of the forest, hoping he could at least hear if something was coming.

 

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

 

Meanwhile, back in Asgard.

“I do not trust that girl.”

Everyone in the room looked up at Thor, the light of the fire illuminating their confused looks.

“Who?” Jane asked from where she sat next to Darcy and Fandral. “Starlight?”

Thor nodded, pacing the length of the room.

“Why don't you trust her?” Darcy asked as she snapped an upside-down picture of Fandral.

“Father seems.... different around her.” Thor said slowly, as if unsure about his own words.

 “I heard some guards talking this morning.” Fandral said, “Apparently, they were in the throne room when the young boy that Starlight left with was first brought in. They said that he called her a _monster._ ”

“That boy is under a spell.” Hogun said neutrally.

“You're quick to defend her.” Volstagg said to Hogun pointedly.

“Because I know the truth.” Hogun replied casually. “All of Princess Starlight's race is under a spell that makes them despise her.”

“But remember when she fell unconscious in front of the throne?” Sif asked. “She took on the form of a frost giant.”

The room went quiet as the same thought went through the heads of all the Asgardians in the room. However, no-one wanted to voice it, since it seemed very impossible. It was Jane who finally spoke, since she had guessed what they were all thinking.

“You think she's Loki, don't you?” A few stray nods. “That's not possible!” Jane turned to Thor. “We watched him die; we saw his body.”

“Loki has escaped death many times before.” Thor said, his face growing cold.

“That is ridiculous.” Hogun stood up. “She's not Loki.”

“Did you not say to her that your mother was pleased to hear that Starlight was alive?” Thor asked his friend. “Does that not mean that she was previously thought dead?”

Hogun nodded. “She jumped off a cliff, dragging her most trusted maid with her.”

“Then who is to say that she survived? Loki could have been anywhere these past three months.”

“On a whole different world, Thor?” Jane said, the ridiculousness of this accusation hitting her strongly. “One that you need a special kind of blood to enter? Also, if the maid supposedly died, too, how would you explain the blue-haired girl currently resting in one of the bedrooms?”

“An illusion?” Volstagg offered.

“Trust me, that girl is no illusion.” Fandral said with a sly chuckle, earning a glare from Darcy.

“Thor,” Sif spoke up from the other side of the room, “With all due respect, I do not think it's the girl that's making your father different, no matter who she is.”

“I agree.” Volstagg said, swallowing a mouthful of food. “Your father's been acting strangely ever since the Convergence.”

“What?” Thor stopped, looking around the room, appalled. “Why was I not informed of this?”

The Warriors three and Sif exchanged glances at one another, staying silent for a second.

“Well...” Volstagg mumbled finally. “We believed his change to be because of the stress of rebuilding Asgard.”

“Yes,” Fandral agreed with a nod. “We were sure he was going to go back to normal once everything was fixed.”

Thor stared at them. “And if he didn't?”

“Then we would have come and gotten you.” Sif tried to assure him, but the thunderer wasn't listening. He was too caught up in his father's possible illness. Without another word, he left the room, the doors slamming shut behind him and leaving the others in silence.

 

(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)

And back in Echo...

The next morning, Loki's eyes shot open in shock. He had fallen asleep, even though he hadn't meant to. He sat up, finding himself alone in the tent. A quick glance out the window showed a still-dark sky and Starlight lying in the grass a few feet away from the tent. Even in the low light, Loki could tell her skin was blue. He didn't move from the tent, instead choosing to watch the princess for a second. She was reaching upwards with her left arm, turning it this way and that, inspecting it thoroughly with a hard gaze. Her hand formed into a ice weapon, making Loki look down at his own hands. He had never tried to form an ice weapon himself since, half of the time, he refused to acknowledge his ancestry.

Pushing any dark thoughts from his head, Loki left the tent and made his way over to Starlight. He had the uncanny urge to apologize for falling asleep, but he ignored it; he wasn't one for apologies.

“Good morning, Loki.” Starlight said when he was close enough, her skin fading back to it's normal pale color.

Loki didn't reply, staring up into the sky. “How early is it?”

“Not early at all. If we were going on Midgardian time, it would be 9:00am.”

Remembering a little about Midgardian days, Loki knew that the sun would already be up at nine in the morning. Days worked differently on Echo, but Loki wasn't quite sure how different they were.

“The sun on Echo doesn't come up until about 11, and sets at five.” Starlight said, seemingly reading Loki's mind.

“Not a lot of sunlight....” Loki said lowly.

“No, but it's enough.”

Starlight sat up and dug through the bag at her side. She pulled out a large clear plastic dish full of aqua-blue fruit. Yanking the cover off, she offered the dish to Loki, who eyed the food warily. Starlight rolled her eyes.

“Everyone acts like this fruit is going to eat their face off.” She muttered, turning away from Loki. “Fine. Your loss.”

The princess popped a couple pieces into her mouth, a small moan slipping out at the taste. Loki squirmed, the sound making him feel uncomfortable. Also, he _was_ a little hungry. After some intensive thinking about the pros and cons of eating the strange food, he finally sat down in the grass next to Starlight and held his hand out for the dish. The princess grinned and handed it to him. Without another moments hesitation, he popped one of the cubes into his mouth and bit down. A sugary juice tasting like a mix of strawberries, pineapple, and cherries filled his mouth. His eyes went wide as he understood why Starlight had moaned. The princess giggled at his reaction.

“That's a common reaction to nymph-fruit.” She said.

Between the two of them, they finished off the whole dish in only a few minutes, and did so in silence. The only sounds around were the animals in the forest, and the prisoner across the clearing, who seemed to be muttering angrily. Starlight barked at him to shut up, and when he didn't, she became enraged.

“Roki, I swear to the Souls, if you don't shut up, I'll feed you to them!”

The swordsman shut up, glancing into the tress in search of the things that he would be fed to. He knew the princess would keep her word if he kept making noise.

“Feed him to whom?” Loki asked.

“The Souls.” Starlight said, as if it was obvious.

Loki quirked an eyebrow at Starlight. He'd only heard her use the word Souls to describe her people, so he was confused at her words.

Starlight gave a breathy laugh. “Sorry. My mind is a little muddled right now and I forgot you weren't Echonian. The Souls are both what my people are called and the reason we have to be quiet in the forest. See, a Soul's body has about the same lifespan as a mortal's, but the Soul inside the body is immortal. Once we die, our Soul leaves our body and goes into the closest forest to rest for a couple centuries. Then, it chooses a new Echonian body. However, while it's bodiless, the Soul is very violent.”

“Why?” Loki interrupted.

“Because Mirror Souls don't usually feel hate. Once it's free of a body, all that hate needs to go somewhere, or the Soul needs to sleep to let the hate fade away.”

Loki glanced at the chained swordsman. “He seems to feel hate.”

Starlight scoffed. “As you heard a couple days ago, the Souls have been put under a spell that clouds their judgment; they now feel hate. Which isn't very good for Echo's economy, and even worse for it's people. People are fighting, stealing, _killing_ \- its all very un-Soul-like.”

Loki processed this, and nodded. “So what about being quiet in the forest?”

“Like I said, a Soul's pent up hate needs to go somewhere or be slept off. All Souls choose to sleep it off, but if we wake them up, we're dead.” Starlight pointed to Roki, “Dumbass over there and I will be more screwed than you, but the Souls will still attack you.”

“Why would you be... in more danger than I?”

“If a Mirror Soul dies by any method other than a natural death, then their Soul is pretty much ripped out the body before it expected to be; it's not prepared to live without a body yet, and spends a lot of it's time confused as hell. Sometimes, they finally find their way to a forest, but most of the time the Soul ends up lost for all eternity. If we were to piss off the Souls in this forest, Roki and I could probably never be alive again.”

The princess glanced at Roki. “Maybe I'll throw him in the forest with a noise-maker attached to him...” She muttered thoughtfully.

“You seem to feel hate as well, Princess.” Loki pointed out with a smirk.

Starlight didn't return the trickster's smirk or tease him back. Instead, she started playing with the end of her messy braid.

“My last incarnation was murdered.” She said quietly. “My Soul spent a _lot_ of time wandering the world it died in, then it was captured and forced into my body.” She sighed, “Long story short, my Soul is fucked beyond repair. I feel things and do things I shouldn't, and there's nothing I can do about it.”

Suddenly, Starlight shot up from the ground, brushing off her clothes and beginning to pack up the camp.

“We can leave now,” was all she said.

They walked the rest of the day in a silence that was weighed down by more than the fear of waking violent Souls. Starlight seemed content to just drag the swordsman along like a dog when he couldn't keep up. Loki could tell she was taking her anger out on the prisoner, but he couldn't tell why she was angry. Was it because her Soul was 'fucked beyond repair?' Or was there something else gnawing at her. The trickster didn't dare ask, mostly because he didn't want to make too much noise. Starlight had said that the Souls would attack him, too, even though he wasn't a Mirror Soul, but she hadn't elaborated on _how_ they would attack him and he didn't feel like taking on an enemy he didn't understand.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Loki didn't notice Starlight stop abruptly. He did a little dance backwards to make sure he didn't run into her, then glanced at her questioningly. She held a finger up to him- her ears were twitching like mad. Then, her eyes went wide.

“ _Down!_ ” She screamed, dropping to the forest floor.

Loki did the same just as an arrow flew over his head. It lodged itself deep into the tree behind him and Loki was amazed at the force that small thing had. It probably would have taken the whole top of his head off. But he only had a second to be amazed, because Starlight grabbed him and yanked him back the way they had come.

“What about him?” Loki asked, turning back towards the swordsman on the ground.

“They've come _for_ him.” Starlight growled as she ran. “I can't believe I was so stupid.”

Knowing this wasn't time to ask for an explanation, Loki kept quiet as they ran. He let the princess lead the way. Not that he had a choice, since she was faster than him anyway. Eventually, she veered off the path. Bushes and branches scratched at any exposed skin as they dashed through the underbrush. Finally, they came to a ruin of a cabin. The roof was caved in and parts of the walls were missing. Starlight ducked into a gap that was probably once the door to the home and Loki followed. At first, Loki couldn't see a thing. Trees had grown over the house, making a roof of leaves that let in no sunlight. Then, his eyes adjusted. The inside of the place was just as bad, with vines climbing up the walls and glass and wood splinters littering the floor. Starlight was nowhere to be seen. Loki hissed her name quietly and an arm shot out from a hole in the corner. Loki picked his way over and peered down, seeing only a pair of glowing purple eyes.

“Hurry.” Starlight whispered.

As Starlight moved over, Loki slipped down into the hole, his height proving to be a bit of a problem. Once in, he realized that it wasn't just a hole, but a tunnel. There were two paths: one branching off into darkness behind him, or towards a speck of light behind the princess; Starlight went in the latter direction. Loki crawled behind, his back hitting the top of the tunnel in some places. Sometimes, there was the sound of footsteps overhead that made dirt fall down on top of them, but Starlight ignored it, shuffling on like it wasn't happening.

Finally, they got to the light. It ended up being a medium-sized cavern (one that was, mercifully, large enough for Loki to stand up in) that was built into a cliff side. When Loki peeked out of the mouth of the cave, he saw a fifty foot drop below them and, at least, a twenty foot climb to the nearest ledge above them.

“Now what?” Loki asked, looking back at Starlight to find her with her head between her knees. “Are you alright?”

At first, she said nothing and just continued clutching her head with her hands. Loki moved closer to her cautiously, studying her face. It had a pained expression etched on it and Starlight was groaning softly. Loki was about to ask if she was alright again but she spoke.

“We can't do anything.” She gasped out. “There's about twenty people above us, all armed to the teeth.” She winced. “Both physically and mentally.”

Loki sighed, sitting back against the dirt wall. He had had them disguised, so how had the Souls found them?

A gasp came from Starlight.

“We need to jump.”

Loki widened his eyes at her. “Are you mad? That's a fifty foot drop into water that may be hiding sharp rocks under it's surface.”

“We're not humans, Loki; a fall like that won't kill us.” Starlight muttered, crawling shakily towards the opening. Her hands gave out from under her and Loki caught her before she tumbled out.

“It might kill _you_. What are they doing to you?”

The princess laughed, which turned into a gag. “If I didn't know any better, Loki, I would think you were worried about me.”

Loki stared at her with a blank expression. “Of course I am. How would I get back to Asgard without you?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. Loki had noticed that she had avoided his question, but he let it slide. “Should we really jump?” He asked instead.

“Are you scared?” Starlight taunted, her illness apparently not ruining her smart-assed-ness

A firm nod was the response the god received. Since the decision had been made, but the princess was too weak to take safety measures, Loki did so himself. He poked his head out the hole again, looking down into the murky water below, then up to the ledge. Shockingly, there was another face looking down. It had long white hair and an androgynous face. As soon as it spotted Loki, it disappeared.

“What did they look like?” Starlight asked, knowing from Loki's face that he had been seen.

“White hair that was long enough to hang over the edge and they appeared to have red marks on their cheeks.”

The princess cursed. “That's how we were found.”

“Who is it?”

“A _daiyōkai_ ; a dog demon. He knows my scent so even if we were invisible, he could have sniffed us out. Loki, we needto jump. _Now_.”

Loki was reluctant, but if Starlight thought it was the only way out, then he'd have to follow her. Wrapping an arm around Starlight's waist, Loki hoisted her up. Together, they went to the mouth of the cave and stared down into the water.

“Last chance to pick a different escape route, Princess.”

Without waiting for an answer, Loki jumped, pulling Starlight along with him. She clung to the trickster tightly, her eyes squeezing shut and her mouth forming words that were lost in the wind; their fall slowed slightly. Shouts came from above them. Loki looked up to see that the white-haired demon had jumped after them.

“Princess...” Loki said in warning.

“I know;” Starlight said without opening her eyes, “I sense him.”

She reached her hand out towards the water, and Loki suddenly realized what she was going to do.

“Can you make a portal out of something with so little reflective properties?” He asked.

“I can try.”

They were almost to the water and as Starlight's fingers were about to brush the surface when something lodged itself into her side, making her retract her fingers in pain. They hit the water, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Loki kicked hard, fighting through the frigid and burning, acid-filled water until they broke the surface.

Loki didn't even need to look to know that the landing had knocked the princess out; her dead weight said it all. A few feet away, the demon floated just above the water. The two males stared at each other for a few seconds before Loki broke the silence.

“Are you friend, or foe?”

The yōkai cocked his head, a thoughtful look on his face. “I am _her_...” He paused, “friend.”

Before Loki could speak again, the demon came closer. Loki tensed, ready to fight, but the other male simply yanked the arrow out of Starlight's side. The princess whimpered, her eyes cracking open slightly.

“Sesshōmaru...” She mumbled, sounding like she was drugged by something in the arrow.

“Hush, Princess.” The demon said softly. He injected her with something and backed away.

“That's not what that was for, Sesshōmaru!” A female voice yelled from the top of the cliff.

He ignored them. “Leave.” He told Starlight.

Starlight nodded and mumbled the spell Loki was beginning to recognize ad the one that opened a portal. All around them, the water became warm and they started to sink down. Loki closed his own eyes and held his breath. Water started to roar in his ears, but stopped after a second. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on a floor of pristine white tiles in a small bathroom. Starlight had her head in the toilet, retching horribly. Loki went over to her, admittedly concerned, especially when he saw blood in the toilet. But before he could ask what was wrong, Starlight sat back and wiped her mouth.

“I don't think I've ever felt more crappy in my life.” She reached up towards the god. “Help me up.”

As much as he didn't like to be ordered around, Loki obeyed anyway. He picked the princess up off the floor and half carried her out of the bathroom and onto a small couch out in the living area of the home. Starlight sunk down onto the cushions and took a deep breath. She looked around, visibly uneasy about their location.

“Where are we?” Loki asked.

Avoiding Loki's gaze, Starlight mumbled, “Not where I was trying to go.”

“Well it appears that we are on Midgard, so all we have to do is find a Bifröst site and--”

“It's not that simple.” Starlight interrupted.

“Why not?”

“Because we're not on the Midgard you know.” She sighed and rubbed her tired face. “We're on mine. And that arrow took my ability to make portals.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, did you guys like it? I hope so. I worked hard on it. :P I'd hate to do this, but I think I'll wait until I get 4 reviews on this chapter before I post the next chapter. I'm sorry, I don't like being a review whore, but favorites and Kudos don't help me know what I'm doing right or wrong. So, once I get four more reviews, I'll post the next chapter. Sorry again! :/
> 
> ~Rina


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I was going to wait for 4 reviews before I posted this chapter, but apparently, they are not going to happen for a long time, so here it is anyway. 
> 
> ~Rina

“What are we going to do?” Loki asked once Starlight had thoroughly explained where they were.

 

They were on her Midgard; the version of Earth where she had grown up, the place where Loki was nothing but a character in a movie. And the small house they had landed in was a cabin in the woods right behind her childhood home.

 

“Which means we need to get out of here, quick.” Starlight said as she stood up, only to fall again. Loki caught her and shook his head.

 

“I don't think you can go anywhere.” He said gravely, trying to sit the princess back on the couch.

 

“Loki,” Starlight pushed his hands away. “I'm serious. There's an alarm in here and I know we tripped it. We need to get out, _now._ ” 

 

Without arguing any more, Loki helped Starlight back up and they left the cabin, Starlight supported by Loki's arm and side. They followed a large footpath a little ways, then Starlight started tugging Loki off the path.

 

“My mother is coming.” She said, “Go this way, and use your magic to disguise us.”

 

They veered from the path and hid behind a large oak tree, just in case the magic didn't work in time. After a few minutes of staying completely still, a woman with shoulder-length faded pink hair and paint splattered clothes came running down the path, a hopeful look on her face. Starlight tensed as the woman passed, then relaxed and quickly lead the way back to the path. She urged Loki to go faster, and a few seconds later, they came to a green one-storey house with it's back door wide open. Starlight let go of Loki and slowly made her way into the house.

 

“Is this your childhood home?” Loki asked.

 

“Yes.” Starlight answered in a hoarse whisper, barely holding back the tears.

 

“And that woman was your mother.” He stated. “She looked very... hopeful.”

 

“Of course. She thinks I'm dead.”

 

“But you said all the Souls hate you”

 

“Only the ones who were in Echo at the time the spell was activated. My mother was not, so she is not affected. But I just... couldn't tell her I was alive.”

 

“You're very deceiving.” Loki said with a smirk.

 

Starlight glared at him. “Says the  _trickster_ god who is currently ruling Asgard in the form of his adoptive father.” 

 

The smirk fell away and Loki's jaw clenched.

 

“Anyway,” Starlight continued, “since I'm one of the few Souls who can enter this world using that particular mirror, Mom came to the conclusion that it was me who tripped the alarm. And once she gets to the mirror, it'll tell her that it  _was_ me, so we need to hurry.” 

 

Loki wanted to ask how Starlight was only one of few who could use that mirror and how it would tattle on them, but held the questions back for now and followed Starlight as she made her way through the kitchen, then the living room, and into a small hallway. The princess's eyes flicked towards the ceiling for a brief second, onto a door leading into the attic. Just as quickly, her eyes darted away and they entered a large bedroom. Starlight yanked open the closet, pushed the clothes aside, and opened up a secret panel in the back, revealing a safe with a number pad. She typed in a complicated code, holding her breath as she waited for the code to be accepted.

 

The safe beeped cheerfully and the door popped open, but Starlight paled and frowned.

 

“Oh no.” Frantically, she dug through the safe. “No, no, no. They're not here!”

 

“What's not?” Loki asked, stepping up beside her.

 

“Mom usually keeps some Soul serum in this safe. It's what would have given me back my travelling powers but... It's. Not. Fucking. Here!” Starlight growled, pointlessly going though the safe again.

 

“They took it from me.” A voice said quietly. Starlight spun to see her mother, Sam, standing in the doorway, staring at her daughter in shock and disbelief. “The Souls took it from me, saying that if you had actually survived that fall, you'd come back here because I would help you.” The woman let out a short, breathy laugh. “I told them that it was impossible; that if you were alive, you would have contacted me. But you didn't, so I was convinced you were really dead.”

 

Starlight avoided looking at her mother's tear-filled eyes. “I was trying to protect you. If you had known I was alive, they would have tortured you for information you didn't have.”

 

“ _It couldn't have been any worse than the torture of thinking my only child was dead!_ ” Sam screamed, the tears finally spilling over. 

 

Balls of paint rose up from a nearby easel and flew towards Starlight and Loki. In an instant, Starlight's hands were out in front of her. The pink shimmering of her barrier appeared, stopping the paint from hitting them. With the force they hit the barrier with, Loki was sure the balls would have hurt a little.

 

“Mum, calm down, please!”

 

Starlight's plea fell on deaf ears and the paint balls kept splatting against the barrier. In one last attempt to stop her mother, Starlight dropped the barrier and ran at the older woman. Both women went tumbling to the ground, but Starlight kept a firm grip on her mother's waist. Her mother struggled for a second, but then went limp and cried against her daughter's shoulder. Loki left the room, giving the duo some privacy. He went out into the living room and glanced out the window.

 

Across the street was a black truck with dark windows. Loki didn't know much about Midgardian vehicles, but he knew enough to realize that this particular vehicle was suspicious.

 

“Princess,” He called into the bedroom, “I'd hate to interrupt your heartwarming reunion, but there is a very suspicious looking vehicle outside.”

 

A few seconds later, the two came out of the bedroom. Starlight's mother was sniffling and wiping her nose, but she seemed to be recovered from her breakdown. She glanced out the window and sighed.

 

“They check up on me every once in a while.” Sam said. “Go out the back again. There's a new path that leads off the trail and towards downtown.”

 

“Mum...” Starlight pursed her lips and reached for her mother, but her hands were slapped away.

 

“Go.” Sam said in a neutral voice.

 

Starlight whimpered and didn't show any signs of moving, so Loki grabbed the princess's hand and yanked her back through the kitchen and out the back door. Sam followed and, as they got out the door, called out one last thing.

 

“Remember syndicate, Starlight?”

 

The words were meant to be a statement, but came out as a question. Sam cleared her throat and went back into the house, shutting the door on her daughter's grief-stricken and confused face. Loki fought to get the princess to the woods. She struggled against his arms, crying out apologies to her mother. If he had a way back to Asgard, he would have dumped her on the uneven ground and left her to get caught like she seemed to want right now.

 

Finally, once the trickster got Starlight down the path and off onto the trail Sam had mentioned, Loki dropped Starlight quite unceremoniously onto the ground. The princess knelt on the ground, her shaking arms wrapped around herself.

 

“Pull yourself together.” Loki growled. “You look pathetic.”

 

Starlight raised her head and glared at Loki through the hair in her face. “My mother hates me, all because I tried to protect her. My mother is my best friend; my _everything,_ and now I've lost her, too. And you're telling me to pull myself together?”

 

Loki scoffed. “Having parents who despise you is something one can quickly get over.”

 

Quick as a flash, Starlight sprang up and the back of her hand struck Loki in the cheek. The strike wasn't enough to knock him over, but he did stumble back a bit, his eyes wide. Surprise from the smack and from the princess's current form filled him. At this moment, she was no longer a head shorter than him, but almost eye-to-eye. The pair of eyes that met his was part gold, part purple, the colors shifting until each eye settled into one different color. Three orange tails, puffed up and twitching angrily from side-to-side, sprouted from the waistband of her pants and her fox ears were pressed flat to her head. After the shock passed, a smirk formed on Loki's face.

 

“The power! Have you been holding back on me, Princess? I must say, I like this form much better. It's very alluring.”

 

Starlight growled and pushed past Loki to move down the path. The smirk still on his face, the trickster followed. They walked in absolute silence, Starlight's tails still swishing back and forth in agitation. Loki watched her walk, her arms crossed and her face scrunched up, and he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Starlight craned her neck to glare.

 

“What are you laughing at?” She snapped.

 

Loki paused for a second, then fell into step with Starlight. Before she could react, he had an arm around her waist and had pulled her behind a large tree. Then, he pushed her up against it, his whole body pressing up against hers. The princess gasped as Loki tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. Starlight's hands flew up to Loki's chest, but they couldn't seem to decide to push him away or pull him closer. But then a swirl of green magic appeared in Starlight's peripheral vision and her hands froze and simply settled on his armored chest.

 

A few seconds later, two men dressed in dark suits strolled down the path, looking everywhere. They got to Starlight and Loki, took one glance, then apologized and rushed past. When they had disappeared, Loki backed up, but only by a few inches. His breath mingled with Starlight's as they stared at each other.

 

Then, Starlight's hands applied pressure to Loki's chest and he was forced backwards. She glared at him once more. Loki just grinned at her.

 

“I'm tired, Princess; I couldn't make us invisible, so I gave us the appearance of two Midgardian lovers, instead.” He came closer to her again and she tensed, staring at him with hard eyes. “And I was laughing because you look so very attractive when you're upset. But it doesn't do much for your senses.”

 

The princess's jaw clenched and she walked away from the grinning god. Once again, they walked in silence until they got to a cafe on a back road. It was a small place with very few people in it, but Starlight was still nervous about going in. Reluctantly, she faced Loki. He was still grinning and she wanted to slap him again, but resisted the urge.

 

“Disguise us again.” She demanded, earning a raise of an eyebrow from the trickster. “Just do it. And make us both teenagers.”

 

Loki did so, giving them both the forms of blonde teenagers. They went into the shop, Starlight telling Loki not to make a scene. The place gave off a homey vibe to Starlight, but Loki was uncomfortable with the warmth and the close proximity of the tables and booths and the few people in it. He stuck close to Starlight as she went up to the counter. The man behind the counter studied the duo for a second, pushing his long, jet-black hair out of his face for a better view. Starlight could tell he was suspicious of them, but the man smiled brightly anyway.

 

“What can I do for you young people?” The man asked, his voice light.

 

Starlight smiled, wondering if her charms would work even through Loki's illusion. “We're looking for some... tea for the soul. Do you sell that here?”

 

The worker's eyes hardened, but the kind smile stayed on his face. “No, we don't.”

 

Starlight noticed when the hand the worker had under the counter twitched as he pressed a button she knew was hidden there.

 

“But I'll tell you what,” The worker said casually “maybe the owner can help you.”

 

As soon as he said that, an older man came rushing out of a back room, his whole body tense. He stared at Loki for a second, then turned to Starlight. It only took one glance at her for him to see straight through Loki's magic. He jerked his head towards the back room, signalling them to follow.

 

The worker stuttered. “But Otō-san...”

 

The older man hushed the boy harshly and disappeared in through the door. Loki and Starlight followed and they entered a small room that was sparsely furnished with two loveseats and a low coffee table that was surrounded by cushions. As Loki dropped their disguises, Starlight made a sound of pain and pressed her fingers to her temple.

 

“Your son has put up a barrier.” She stated.

 

The man sighed, then leaned back out the door. “Ken, drop it.”

 

Ken, the young worker, was glaring at Starlight through the door. “But Father, that's...”

 

“I know very well who it is, son.” The owner growled. “And if you move from that spot, I will let her have you. Now, drop it.”

 

The pain disappeared from Starlight's head. The old man shut the door and turned back to his guests.

 

“I don't much appreciate being used as a threat,” Starlight said to the man as he went over and poured some tea.

 

“I apologize, Hime-sama. But it works; he will not move from that spot.”

 

He went over to the table, gesturing for the duo to sit. Starlight knelt onto one of the cushions, but Loki refused. Instead, he chose to wander about the small room, inspecting the ornaments on the shelves. The old man didn't push Loki to sit, and sat across from Starlight himself, pouring tea for them both. As Starlight cradled the warm cup in her hands, she smelled the sweet herbs that came from Echo and smiled sadly at the reminder of home.

 

“I'm Takeshi.” The old man introduced himself with a bow of his head. “Please excuse my son. Ken was in Echo when the spell hit.”

 

“And you were not?” Loki asked from his corner.

 

Takeshi smirked at Loki. “He does not know much about Souls, does he?” He asked Starlight.

 

Starlight sipped her tea. “No. He has asked a few questions, and I have answered them, but that topic did not come up.”

 

“What topic?” Loki asked.

 

“We don't have time for questions now.” Starlight growled, still angry at Loki for his words before.

 

“Hime-sama...” Takeshi tsked. “You always used to be so happy when a non-Soul wanted information.”

 

The princess went back to her tea solemnly. “That was before my life was in danger.” She said from behind her cup. “You may explain, if you wish, Takeshi-san. But please make it quick.”

 

“Of course.” The old man smiled. He was also one that was happy to explain his heritage. “Have you been told about how Souls are immortal, boy?”

 

“I am not a boy.” Loki snapped in response. “But yes, it has been explained to me.”

 

“A Soul cannot be reincarnated forever. Eventually, the cycle has to stop. My Soul has lived for a long time- much longer than you- and this is my last reincarnation.”

 

Starlight spoke now. “And a Soul cannot Travel during their last incarnation. It was blood like Takeshi-san's that took my powers.”

 

Takeshi's eyes widened and took on a look of shock and pity. “You've been shot.”

 

“Yes.” Starlight pushed her jacket away to reveal the already-healed puncture mark where the arrow had embedded itself into her skin. “Shot by an arrow dipped in the blood of a Last like you. It took my Travelling powers and I seek Soul serum in order to get them back.”

 

A sigh escaped the old man's mouth. He stood up and went over to one of the shelves, which held a red box painted with cherry blossoms. He opened it and withdrew a scroll tied with a navy-blue ribbon. Starlight snorted.

 

“Is that Lucia's color?” She asked, barely hiding the contempt in her voice.

 

Takeshi nodded and placed the scroll on the table between him and Starlight. Loki finally sat down and joined the princess in staring at the rolled up piece of parchment. After a few seconds, Starlight make a sound of resignation and picked it up. Untying the ribbon, she unrolled the scroll and read it silently, cursing once she was done.

 

“What does it say?” Loki asked, leaning close to read the writing but finding it written in a language he didn't understand.

 

“ _Under the rule of Kitsune-sama and Princess Lucia,_ ” Starlight translated, _“all the Soul serum on Earth #483, the home of former Princess and traitor, Starlight Narita, will be confiscated. It will only be given out when a Keeper confirms that the individual seeking the serum will not be using it to aid the imposter._ ”

 

With a tense jaw and trembling hands, Starlight rolled the parchment back up and handed it to Takeshi. She didn't want to read any more. He tied it and set it back in it's box, closing the lid gently.

 

“Fox-face never believed I was dead, did he?” Starlight said in a barely audible voice.

 

“No,” Takeshi replied gravely.

 

“I'm trapped in a world that has no Soul serum without my powers and Fox-face's people are on my tail.”

 

Starlight buried her face in her hands. Suddenly, with her mother angry at her and the fact that the scroll had pretty much confirmed that her former best friend was now under Fox-face's control, everything was just too much for the princess to handle. Loki leaned away, unsure about how to deal with Starlight's oncoming breakdown

 

“Why me?” She moaned into her hands. “Why me? What did I ever do to piss the Souls of Unity off?”

 

Takeshi patted her arm gently. “You did nothing, Hime-sama. Every Echo ruler is born for a purpose; this is yours.”

 

“I was _created artificially_. I think that cancels out that idea.”

 

“No.” The old man said firmly, hitting the table. “You are still here for a purpose, Hime-sama, and it is to stop the man in the Kitsune mask from ruining Echo.”

 

Starlight sniffled, finally raising her head. Her eyes were swollen and red, but thoughtful. “Even so, how am I supposed to do that when I'm trapped here?”

 

The old man glanced at the door and lowered his voice. “I have sources in Echo, Souls who live there but were away when the spell took effect. I can get them to smuggle some serum out to you.”

 

“No.” Starlight said. “They could be hurt doing something like that.”

 

A smirk formed on the old man's face. “I have no idea how anyone could think of you as a monster, Hime-sama. You think of your people even when your own life in is danger. Still, I will ask them to do it anyway. Judging by the paleness of your lips, that arrow was dipped in more than blood.”

 

Starlight covered her mouth and stood. “We must be going. Thank you for your help, Takeshi-san. I will check in soon for the serum. For now, we must find a place to hide.”

 

“There is no need for that.” He handed Starlight a set of keys. “I own a bed-and-breakfast south down the road. Closed during these colder months, so it will be a good place for you to hide.”

 

Staring at the keys, Starlight asked the man if he was sure. He nodded confidently and ushered her and Loki out the door and Loki barely had time to disguise them again. As they passed the glaring son, Starlight grabbed onto the pouch Hogun had given her for comfort. Ken growled at Starlight, calling her horrid names in the Souls' tongue, which Loki didn't need to understand to know that what was being said wasn't nice. And then, suddenly, Ken grabbed Starlight by the arm. Instantly, Starlight brought her hand up and slapped him. A powdery residue made Ken start coughing and he let go. Looking down, Starlight realized that the powder had seeped out of the pouch when she had squeezed it.

 

Takeshi grabbed his son. “Go, now.” He said.

 

Loki and Starlight quickly left the shop, heading south and looking for the bed-and-breakfast. The princess ignored Loki when he asked if she was okay the first time, and the trickster let it go. They walked in silence until they came to a beige Victorian-style house that had Bed-and-breakfast written in curvy letters above the door. They stepped up to it, but Starlight had started shaking and was having trouble fitting the key in the lock. Loki took the key from her and opened the door. They barely got across the threshold before the princess stumbled and fell. Loki helped her up and got her onto an old couch in the living room. Starlight was pale, even more than usual, and she was burning up despite the cold temperature in the house.

 

“The old man was right, wasn't he?” Loki asked. “There was more on that arrow.”

 

Starlight nodded. “There was a poison on it.” She said as she panted. “Experimental, but it does what it's supposed to.”

 

“What is it supposed to do?”

 

“A Last's blood takes away my Travelling; the poison takes away everything else.” She raised her head and Loki saw through her eyes how much agony she was in. “It's slowly eating away all my powers.” She groaned. “Among other things.”

 

With how much pain she was in, Loki wondered if the princess was dying and he found that he did not much like the idea. As Starlight fell forward, he caught her and picked her up in his arms. Making his way upstairs, he found a bedroom and laid Starlight down on the king-sized bed. By this time, the fever had taken over and she was mumbling incoherently. Reluctantly, Loki stripped the princess of her clothes until she wore only her undergarments. He relieved himself of his heavy armor, then he went searching the kitchen for a bowl. When he found one, he filled it with cold water and grabbed a facecloth from a nearby washroom on his way back up to the bedroom.

 

Using the cold water, he tried to cool Starlight's fever. But every time the soaked cloth came in contact with the Soul's skin, the water went warm almost instantly. Loki stood from the bed and paced away, catching his reflection in the vanity's mirror as he did so. The frustration was evident on the god's face, and it only served to frustrate him even more. Why did he feel so useless? He had only felt this way once in his life and that had been--

 

“ _The Convergence._ ” Loki admitted to himself, as much as he loathed the thought.

 

He looked into the mirror again, this time watching the princess gasp as she breathed. He stared at her for a few seconds before he knew what he had to do. Closing his eyes, he shivered as he felt his body temperature drop. When he opened his eyes again, he ignored the red irises that stared back at him and turned away from the glass. Taking his shirt off, he crawled into the bed with Starlight and, slowly, took her into his arms. She struggled for a second, the sudden cold surprising her, but she eventually let Loki pull her into him.

 

As nearly every inch of her scorching skin touched his freezing body, she gasped, but this time in relief. The princess wrapped her arms around Loki's waist, pressing herself closer to the coolness that seemed to be battling against her fever. She touched her forehead to his bare chest and almost cried as the heat eased away slightly. However, even in her dazed state, she wondered.

 

“Why?” She asked Loki without looking up.

 

Loki was silent for a moment, but then spoke. “I need to get home.” He said simply.

 

Starlight exhaled sharply, the closest thing she could get to a laugh in her pain.

 

“Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself, Loki.”

 

The trickster tensed as he heard his mother's last words to him echoed by the princess, but said nothing. Usually, he would get angry when he would hear people quote Frigga, but for some strange reason, he felt no anger towards Starlight as she did so.

 

“Go to sleep, Princess,” was the only thing he said to her.

 

She was already breathing deeply, no longer panting as harshly as she had been a few minutes earlier. Loki tried to sleep, as well, but his mind seemed to be going a mile a minute. He found himself thinking about things he had promised himself he would never think about again. But as he lay there with the princess's small body tangled around his, he let himself sink into his own mind and let the thoughts take over.

 


End file.
